Must Love Dogs!
by Pochacco906
Summary: Bella and Edward grew up hating each other. It's been four years since they last saw each other. Both of them now have their dogs, Max and Maggie, in their lives. Will the fighting ever stop? All Human, AU, Not Based on the Must Love Dogs Movie.
1. Moving to NYC

**A/N: This is my first fan fic ever and first attempt to even write a story. I hope you enjoy it and that I didn't butcher this too much from what I was imagining. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Summary: Bella and Edward grew up hating each other. It's been four years since they have last seen each other. Both now have their dogs, Max and Maggie, in their lives. Will the fighting ever stop?

Chapter 1 – Moving to the Big Apple

BPOV

As my flight started to descend into New York, my hands were starting to sweat and I started to bounce up and down in my seat. I was extremely nervous and excited about the upcoming events that would completely change my life.

My name is Isabella Swan and I just turned 25, my birthday was two weeks ago. I grew up in Los Angeles since my dad, Charlie, was a big Production executive at Paramount Studios. My mom was a housewife that enjoyed staying at home and relaxing. I lived in Los Angeles most of my life with my parents but moved to San Francisco for college. I graduated from Stanford with degree in Literature and then mastered in English. My goal was to become a writer/editor and I started working for the San Francisco Chronicle shortly after I graduated. Of course, I had to start out at the bottom and work my way up but I moved up the ranks fairly quickly and found myself as the Associate Editor of the Life Section (which covered all leisure activities including book reviews, which was more my specialty). I'm 5'4" and thin, petite with long brown hair and brown eyes and pale skin, which was always a mystery since we lived in LA, you'd think I'd have tan skin with all the sunny weather.

Speaking of friends, my two best friends and college roommates, Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale, moved to New York after graduating from Stanford. It's been four years now that we've been apart but I would occasionally see them during the holidays or during my school breaks when I would go to New York to visit them. We grew up together and they were like sisters to me. We went through everything together, the good, the bad and the ugly but we were always there for each other and would always be the best of friends no matter what happened. And now, I was moving there to be with them!

Alice is pixie-like in all ways. Physically and mentally. She's small and tiny for her size and has short flipped out black hair with green eyes. She is always fashionably dressed and beautiful. She loves shopping and dressing people up and has an infectious personality that makes everyone gravitate towards her. She is extremely overly energetic and hyperactive that she makes the Energizer Bunny on steroids look like nothing compared to her.

Rosalie is tall and thin with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She looks like a model that just came off the pages of Vogue and has the same fashion sense as Alice but isn't as crazy about shopping since she is more interested in cars. She was always the strongest, mentally and probably physically, of the three of us and always stood up for us and was protective like an older sister, even though we were all the same age. She even punched a few guys back in college and bitch slapped a few girls in high school that offended us in anyway.

After graduation, Alice and Rosalie both got jobs working for Conde Nast in New York, one of the most famous magazine publishers in the US. Alice is now the Associate Fashion Style Editor at Vogue, which is her dream job that she loves. I swear I thought she would have been a Fashion Stylist for the stars but she ended up finding her true calling at Vogue. Rosalie is now the Associate Automotive Editor at GQ magazine. Go figure! Anything to do with cars was her passion and now she got to test them out and review them for the magazine. Since Rose and Alice worked at Conde Nast, they were able to help me land an interview at the New Yorker. And now, here I was, on a plane moving to New York and in two weeks I would be starting my new job as the Associate Literature Arts Editor for my favorite magazine!

We were all excited that I would be with them again after four years of being apart! Alice and Rose were both living in the Upper West Side near Central Park. Alice's family, the Cullens, were extremely wealthy and successful. Growing up in LA, they were the top entertainment lawyers and worked closely with my dad. Rose's dad was a director for Paramount so we all ended up going to the same schools and growing up in the same neighborhood.

It just so happened that this job couldn't have come at a more perfect time since I knew that Alice had extra room for a roommate. Her and Rose lived together but Rose got engaged to Emmett about three months ago and moved in with him, they dated for four years and were perfect for each other. Its funny how we all grew up and they finally realized that they were made for each other; everyone knew that they would be together but that it was just a matter of time. Emmett is Alice's older brother by four years. Emmett is tall, big, good-looking and muscular like an NFL football player and has brown hair and brown eyes. I always thought he would become a professional NFL player but he ended up becoming a lawyer and opened up a branch for the Cullen Law Group in New York that he was overseeing.

Alice's boyfriend is Jasper Hale, Rosalie's older brother by two years. They dated since high school and have been stuck together forever! I was really surprised that they weren't engaged yet but Alice never worried about it. She knew it was coming and never pressured him. Jasper is also tall, good-looking with blonde hair and blue eyes. Rose and Jasper looked like twins, which most people often mistook them for. Jasper was a psychologist and was always great at giving good advice which helped in sticky situations. Emmett and Jasper were both like big brothers to me since they were very protective of us while growing up. Although Emmett was more confrontational, Jasper was always the calmer one of the bunch and helped calm people and situations down.

And then there's Alice's other brother, Edward. He is two years older than Alice. He's extremely good-looking, tall with his auburn bronze hair and smoldering green eyes like a model but that is all there is about him. He's an arrogant, egotistical, selfish bastard! He always got on my nerves and if I had to hate someone, he would probably be that person. He always found some way to annoy me or piss me off. He's also a womanizer who uses his charms to get women. Ugh! It's disgusting. He's also a lawyer helping out with the Cullen family business. I don't doubt that he's extremely good at his job since he's so argumentative and stubborn, not that I would ever tell anyone that.

I was really not looking forward to seeing him since I knew that he lived with Emmett and Rose. Everyone knew how we felt about each other because of the constant bickering that would come about as soon as we stepped into the same room. Most gatherings ended up with us being pissed off that eventually we started avoiding each other. The past four years when I came to visit Rose and Alice, he never came out, which was a good thing. If I saw him, I would most likely want to go up to him and punch him in the face. I was a non-violent person but he just got under my skin and the fact that he made my life a living hell growing up didn't help the situation much either.

So it's been about four years now since I've seen him … not that I felt nervous or anything but I promised Alice that I would try to be polite since now I was moving in with her and I would probably have to run into him more often that I would like.

I got off the plane and gathered my things and hailed a town car and was on my way. I sat back into the seat and was still so excited to be moving to New York and the fact that my new job would be starting in two weeks. I loved reading, writing and editing that I was just so stoked to be doing it for a magazine that I love!

The car pulled up to a tall modern looking building and my mouth literally dropped to the floor. It was definitely a luxury apartment building and probably even better than a five star hotel. This was a lot different than the last place I saw when I visited Rose and Alice, which was about a year ago. They told me that they moved to a newer building since Alice's parents bought apartments for Alice and then one for Emmett and Edward to share. I was mainly excited though because I was amazed at the close proximity it was to Central Park! Maggie would love this!

Maggie or Mags was my golden yellow retriever! I got her after Rose and Alice moved to New York since I felt lonely and needed something to keep me busy. She was my life and my everything! We did everything together. At first I was a little concerned about moving her to New York because I was mainly worried about the apartment space. Not like I had a big apartment in San Francisco but I had to make sure that Alice was okay with having Maggie there and that there would be enough room since I knew New York apartments were small. Alice kept assuring me that it was fine and there was plenty of space and with one look at the outside of this building, I could tell already that there was definitely plenty of space.

A doorman came to open the car door and smiled at me noticing my shocked expression. I quickly closed my mouth and walked out of the car, chuckling to myself thinking that I must've looked like an idiot.

"Good Morning, Miss …" he said with a smile and tipped his hat, waiting for me to say my name.

I replied back "Just call me Bella" and flashed him a smile.

"Oh, so you're Alice's new roommate. She told me to look out for your arrival. She's up on the 30th floor. Apartment #3002. I'll get your bags and bring them up. You don't need to worry about a thing." He said with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you …" I waited for him to say his name. "Just call me Arthur". Arthur matched him very well as he was an older man that looked like a grandfather. I was shocked to see that he worked as a doorman and thought he would be retired by now but the happiness that I saw in his eyes made me think that he fully enjoyed his job. I didn't want to question him so I just said, "Thank you Arthur" and headed inside towards the elevator.

OMG! This is such a great apartment building already! And we have a doorman! I was so excited that as soon as the elevator doors closed I started to scream in silence while doing a little victory dance! The smile on my face couldn't have gotten any bigger. The elevator dinged at the 30th floor and I got out and I looked for Apartment #3002, which happened to be right in front of the elevator. I also realized that there were only 3 apartments on the floor. I barely even knocked on the door and it flew open and my short little pixie was right in front of me in her pale pink pajama pants and tank top. We screamed so loud and hugged each other! I think we might've woken up the neighbors since my flight did get in early.

"Beeeellllaaa, You're here!!!" She squealed in my ear so loudly that it made me slightly deaf but I was too excited to care. "YES!" And we just kept hugging each other and jumping up and down screaming. Moments later, I heard Rose's voice from down the hall and saw her come flying out of the other unit next door. She was wearing her red robe and I wondered how loud we were to have woken her up for her to come over. But the screaming got louder as she ran to us and flung her arms around us. We were finally together! It felt so good to be with them. I was missing them so much while I was in San Francisco.

Alice pulled us both into the apartment to avoid waking the other neighbors up and closed the door. My eyes were in shock at the apartment before me. It was huge, even bigger than I imagined. The living room, dining room and kitchen were so spacious and decked out with modern pieces. There was a huge TV and sound system with what looked like a million DVD's along with a large glass dining table and elegant modern styled chairs. The kitchen was back along the wall near the front door and faced the living room and dining room. There was an island counter that had bar stools and I was happy to see it was a fully stocked kitchen since I love to cook. The windows around the apartment were tall glass windows that stretched the entire wall and had a view of Central Park. It was amazing. I literally just gasped and was at a loss for words. I couldn't believe that I would be living here and with Alice!! Mags was going to love this!!!

Alice and Rose both saw my expression and laughed. "Nice, isn't it?" Alice said with a huge smile.

"You have no idea" I said in awe. "I just can't believe that I'm here and that I'm back with you gals. I missed you both so much!" with a huge smile on my face.

"We missed you too!" Rose said as she pulled me to the couch and we all sat down.

Alice had a questioning look on her face and then asked "Where's Maggie? I thought I would get to meet her today."

"Mags isn't coming until another week. I wanted to get situated first so she's coming with the rest of my stuff at the end of this week. Angela and Ben are driving my car here with all my things and in exchange I promised that they can stay at our place for a few days while they were town. I just didn't want to have to fly Maggie in since I thought it would traumatize her. I hope that's okay if they stay here for a few days." As I flashed her my guilty smile. She was all too familiar with this smile.

Alice rolled her eyes and gave me a look like I was stupid, "Of course it's okay, they are our good friends too you know. We all went to college together. And I still can't believe that you got them to drive your car cross country for you."

I replied back defensively "It's not just for me. They were planning a little vacation anyways and they thought a cross-country trip would be great for them with the last stop being New York so I offered them my car covering all the gas payments and bought them tickets to fly back to San Francisco from New York once their trip ended as a thank you. You know I can't convince people to do anything. I suck in that department and you know that I would never want anyone do anything for me! They practically forced it upon me to help me out," laughing to myself. I really wasn't good at getting people to do favors for me and I didn't like it when people would do things for me. I just didn't like to feel that people had to take time out of their day to do something and for me. Rose and Alice both knew that was how I was and they always tried to convince me otherwise.

Alice and Rose just rolled their eyes so I tried to change the subject "So how are you two?! Rose, how's the wedding planning?"

We talked and giggled for another hour or so with the focus being off me, Thank God! I hated being the center of attention. Rose gave me more details on the wedding which was going to be in March. It was only the end of September so it was still a few months away. We all decided that we would be each other maids of honor if we ever got married. So we were entitled to have two maids of honor each.

Arthur had brought up the luggage while we were in the midst of our discussion so I got up from the couch and walked over to it. I saw Alice's expression and I knew it was coming, 1 … 2 … 3 … I mentally counted to myself and then she flipped out, shrieking, "You only brought two luggage pieces! TWO!"

"Yeah …" I winced. I knew she would freak out if I didn't bring at least fifteen pieces of luggage with me.

I held up my hands in front of me and said calmly "I have the rest of my stuff coming with Angela and Ben so that's why I only have two, plus they only allow two pieces on the plane without charging an arm and a leg for additional luggage."

Alice walked right in front of me shaking a finger in my face like I was being scolded by my mom when I was six and yelled "You know full well that two pieces of luggage is not enough for you to have for a week's worth of clothes" she kept talking as she preceded to open the luggage because I knew she was trying to see what I packed. I never really dressed up to Alice's expectations as much as she hoped that I would. I knew I had to dress up for work but on my days off I felt comfortable lounging around in sweats and a t-shirt. That would've been enough to send Alice to the grave.

She looked through my luggage; giving the evil eye to certain pieces like she wanted to burn it and barely touching others like they were diseased and then she gave me a pout. Rose and I looked at each other and she gave me an apologetic face and got up to leave to get ready. I knew it was coming again … I knew Alice was not happy with the contents in my luggage and she grabbed my wrist forcefully and led me to her closet.

"Ow, Ow, Ow!!" as I yelled back. She was strong for being so tiny. She let go of my wrist as I rubbed away the pain.

"Sorry" she gave me her puppy dog eyes knowing that she was truly sorry. "We have to go shopping today. And I'm not taking NO for an answer!!" I groaned and flew myself on her bed … I knew that I couldn't get out of it. We were going shopping already and I haven't even stepped foot in NY for longer than four hours … ugh … I was never a huge fan of shopping but I knew that New York shopping was different so I was actually looking forward to it.

Once Alice was finished, she reminded me that I hadn't seen my room yet which I completely forgot about … she led me to the room next door to hers and opened the door. It was big, the same size as Alice's. It had a king size bed with blue sheets and there was a white desk in the corner that would've been great for my new laptop that I bought. The closet space was huge as well and the bathroom was modern with a shower and tub. But the windows were the best part. It was similar to the living room window that covered the entire wall. Right next to the window was a small white loveseat which overlooked the city and the view was amazing. I just wanted to curl up on the loveseat and read! I was so excited! And the entire room was fully stocked with sheets and towels that I was thankful I didn't have to go shopping to buy them.

"Alice, this is so great! Thank you so much for letting me live with you and setting this all up for me! I really truly appreciate everything that you've done for me" I hugged her again for the hundredth time trying hard not to cry.

"Of course, I wouldn't have you living by yourself or with someone else, come on Bells! We've been best friends and sisters for years! I could have it any other way!!" she said grinning widely, "Now are you ready to shop?!" I nodded and she squealed with delight and pulled me towards the door.

Rose came to the door right when we opened it and we all stepped out to go shopping for my first day living in New York.


	2. I HATE HIM!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Chapter 2 – I HATE HIM!

BPOV

After a full day of shopping, we headed back to the apartment. I was surprised again at how close the apartment was to everything. I also got the full run down of how working at Conde Nast was like and that you had to go to work as if you were walking on some sort of fashion runway. Apparently, the girls thought my current work wardrobe was not appropriate so we came back full of bags with a demand from Alice that we were going to shop more during the week to buy more work appropriate clothes. I was already scared about that but I let it go. I knew that I wanted to make a good impression at work and if that meant dressing the part, I was fine with it.

On our way back to the apartment, Alice said that she made plans for us to have dinner tonight with everyone.

"Who is everyone?" I asked suspiciously since I knew she might have realized that I was inferring to if she meant that Edward was going to be there. "Oh, Emmett, Jasper, Rose, you, me", and then she said " … and Edward" she said his name so quickly and quietly at the end that I almost didn't catch it.

"WHAT?" I yelled as my eyes started to bulge out of my eye sockets, "_He's_ coming too! You know that we've avoided each other for the past four years now. I don't want to see him on my first day in New York!!" I whined to Alice. I could try to do puppy dog eyes but I knew it never worked on Alice. She always got what she wanted so I knew this was a dead end battle. My blood started to boil and I knew I was getting upset. Alice grimaced and bit her lip mumbling an apology. She never bit her lip unless she felt really guilty and felt bad about something so I knew she felt bad about this. I didn't want to make her feel bad so I pushed it aside. I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths "I know, I promised to not let him get to me so I'll be fine tonight, I will be civil … sorry about my little tirade". I just had to keep telling myself that I had to be civil. _Be nice, be polite, be civil … _

Rose glanced at me and put her head down and said "It's okay, you know he's changed now from before. He's not as bad as he was before …" I noticed how she emphasized "not as bad" which was a keyword and meant that he was still bad just not as bad as before. If he was better than before, that still didn't mean that I would like him in any way even as a friend.

I became silent thinking back to my memories while we were growing up. I never really hung out with Edward ever. Or he rather chose not to hang out with us. Even as young kids, he would pick on me all the time and tease me. I noticed it was more so than with other girls and figured for some reason he particularly hated me more so I started hating him more because of it. Once he went to junior high that was when he began his transformation to the dark side. He grew extremely popular and was a star athlete. Everyone pretty much worshipped the ground he walked on, guys and girls. Once he had gone through puberty, it was like someone unleashed his inner power. He was so sure that he could charm the pants off anyone. He became a player and was always juggling so many girls at the same time. He used his charm and looks to his advantage which I hated. And while throughout the whole junior high and high school phase, he never hung out with Rose, Alice, Emmett, Jasper or I. It was like we were the plague for him and he never wanted to associate himself with us. High School was the worst of our fighting period and eventually once he left it felt so much better. He went to Yale and then to Harvard for his law degree so he was busy with school and I didn't see him much throughout college. The last time I saw him was our college graduation dinner at the Four Seasons in San Francisco.

_--Flashback—_

_I stared at myself in the mirror looking at my black strapless dress that Alice forced me into for this dinner that our parents were hosting for our college graduation. It was a little shorter and a little too low in the front that I would've liked but it did look nice on me, I had to admit. I waited for Alice and Rose to come out of the bathroom stalls and looked at them admiringly. My two beautiful best friends who I was going to miss while they moved to New York and left me behind. I was getting teary eyed again just thinking about it while they stepped out of their bathroom stalls. They went to wash their hands in the sink and turned and noticed my sad teary eyes. _

"_Bella! We will miss you too you know!" Alice said as she came to hug me. _

"_I know … I know that. It's just that it will be hard for me to be on my own without you two here, it's always been us three …" I said with a raspy voice looking at her and Rose. _

_Rose came up to hug me too and I could tell I almost put tears in her eyes as well. "We'll always be us three, even if we move to New York, we'll always be close and we'll always keep in touch." _

_The tears came down harder for me now so I told them to go to the dining room first and that I would catch up with them once I cleaned up a bit. As they left first to go to the dining room, I started cleaning my makeup a little, Thank God for waterproof mascara! As I stepped out into the hall, I saw him … his back was facing me so he didn't see me but I could tell he was on the phone and I had to walk past him to go to the dining room. Great! This was just great, I avoided him all day and the past few years and now I have to walk past him … hopefully, he doesn't stop me. _

_As I got closer, I heard his deep musical voice, which had no affect on my whatsoever but I was sure it was making the other person on the line melt. "Hey, Julie … yeah, I'm stuck at this dinner but I really wish I was there with you but I'll see you tomorrow when I get back … hold on a second, I have another call coming through … Hey Annie .. I was just thinking about you too, I'll be back tomorrow … sure, let's get lunch, can I give you a call right back I'm on the other line with my sister …" as he said that my mouth dropped to the floor, I started at him in shock. I couldn't believe my ears. After all these years, he was still the exact same. Nothing changed. He was just a jerk! _

_At that exact moment, he turned around and saw me and our eyes locked and I could tell that he was thinking something. I was surprised that he saw me and I started walking back to the dining room as if I didn't hear anything. I mean it wasn't any of my business anyways and why would I care so much, I just thought it was disgusting … he got off the phone when he saw me and pulled on my arm. I yanked it back forcefully probably showing I was more mad than I tried not to show and I slowly turned to face him. He had a stupid smirk on his face that he was happy that he did that. For some reason, I think he finds satisfaction for pissing me off. Ugh, I just wanted to rip that smirk right off. _

_I was slightly taken aback because he looked really good in his suit and the fact that I haven't seen him for a few years he actually looked very handsome. I had to try hard to keep telling myself that that was it and there was nothing else to him. Come on, Bella! He's a jerk, don't forget that! _

"_Hey Bella" he said with his voice trying to be smooth. Whatever!_

"_Yeah, Cullen" I said as I rolled my eyes. I never said his first name for fear of tainting my mouth. _

"_I .. uh .. just want to say Congratulations on your graduation," he said as he stuttered a bit. _

_I looked at him carefully to see if he was lying and just trying to charm me or if he was actually trying to be nice. I wasn't exactly for sure so I flashed my fake smile, the one that people can tell that you're actually annoyed rather than enjoying the moment. _

"_Thanks!" I said and turned back quickly to walk towards the dining room. He grabbed my arm again and my head snapped immediately back to look at him with building anger growing in my eyes and said "WHAT?!" this time a little too loudly to show that I was really annoyed. _

_He let go immediately and looked shocked that I was so rude. Opps, that was bad on my part but he deserved it. "I'm sorry to be mean but what? Did you have something else to say?" I asked sounding impatient so that he could get the clue that I didn't want to talk to him. _

"_Uh … um … you look really beautiful tonight" he said sincerely with his tone but I knew far too well where this was going, he was just trying to charm me like he does with everyone else. Well, forget it. I'm not falling for that. _

"_I'm sure you say that to every girl but thanks for your compliment … now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to the restroom and throw up!" I hissed angrily. His facial expression when I said that was priceless! He looked completely shocked and his mouth dropped open! _

"_You know I'm not one of those girls that you can charm and expect me to fall for you, Cullen! I'm not some dumb brunette that will fall for your charm and good looks and especially someone like you who is the most arrogant, selfish, insensitive and conceited person that I've ever met. It is my graduation night and I don't need to be here spending it with a playboy who doesn't respect women and treats them like shit!" I said in an icy tone. I turned and marched back to the dining room again. _

_He yanked on my arm again and I turned back around with fury in my eyes but I could see now that he was majorly pissed. I saw his green eyes fill up with anger and he yelled back at me ""Is that the type of person you think I am? Is that who you've always thought I was?"_

_I yelled back "Yes, I've always thought that ever since we were kids! WE ALL DO! You use women all the time. I just heard you on the phone with two different women. Don't even try to lie to me! You're disgusting! You've always been like this and you've never changed. You think that you ever will?! Ha! Fat Chance! And why do you care what I think anyways?" I hissed louder as I glared at him. I looked into his angry green eyes and for a second, I thought that maybe he did care but I shrugged it off immediately telling myself that would never be the case. He just fooled me and I didn't want to fall into his trap. _

_His face looked angrier by the minute and he yelled "Who ever said I wanted to be with you anyways, I would never want to be with you even if you were the last woman on earth! I can't even stand being around you!!" _

_I was so furious, I walked up to him and stared right into this eyes and screamed back "You think I can stand being here too? You think I would EVER want to be with someone like you?! Well, you're wrong, Cullen! I hate you! I will always hate you! If it weren't for Alice and Emmett and your parents, I don't think I would ever want to see you again!" With that I gave him the deadliest look that I've probably given anyone and turned my back to him and stalked into the dining room. I knew it was harsh and mean but he always just got under my skin. And my words probably didn't get to him at all. To him, I was probably some bug to be crushed. _

_--End of Flashback-- _

That was the last time I saw him. It was not on good terms and I'm surprised that I haven't seen him since. He was probably avoiding me as much as I was avoiding him. I had told Alice and Rose what happened that night and they sympathized with me. They always hated Edward and his ways with women.

I felt my arm shake and I looked at Alice, bringing me back to reality. "Bella! Come in, Bella! Are you there?" as she waved her hand in front of my face.

I sighed and said, "Yes, sorry about that. I was just remembering something"

Rose replied hesitantly, "Oh… graduation night huh?"

"How did you know?!" I asked surprised that she knew exactly what I was thinking.

"HELLLOOO!!" Rose said rolling her eyes, "we know each other so well we can pretty much read each other's minds while just looking at each other. That and well, that was the last time you saw him so I assumed you were probably thinking about it since you'll be seeing him again tonight for dinner".

"Ugh …" I sighed again sounding defeated.

"Don't worry Bells, I told him to be on his best behavior and I hope you will too. He's gotten a lot closer to us now since we moved to New York. We hang out with him a lot more. He's changed somewhat but he's trying. I think whatever you said to him that night made him think about things differently." Alice said trying to imply something and I knew full well what she meant but I focused more on the fact that Alice said they hang out more with him now which means that I think I would be seeing him more than just this stupid dinner tonight.

"What do you mean? That I changed him, Ha! I doubt that! I hate him just as much as he hates me!" I hissed.

"He definitely started getting closer to us after that night and he's been hanging out a lot more with us but he also changed a lot more after he got Max" Rose added.

"Max, who's Max? And he could've changed because you were all living in New York, I mean, maybe all of sudden he realized he actually needed real friends and his family" I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes.

"Max is Edward's dog that he bought four years ago, his dog is super cute and they do everything together. I think the dog actually changed him and his way of thinking but I think your talk with him that night initiated the change" Alice said slowly while glancing over at me. I knew she was trying to test the waters to see my reaction. I was too busy thinking to reply back. So he had a dog … Probably some Pitbull or Doberman, it goes well with his personality. Well, his dog better not come near Maggie, if his dog hurts her in any way he will have hell to pay!

We reached the apartment and Rose went back to her place to put away her things and get ready for dinner. Alice helped me organize my closet and unpack the rest of my clothes. After an hour, we started getting ready for dinner that night. We were going to eat at a casual Italian restaurant called Roma's. So I decided to wear my dark skinny jeans, knee-high black boots and an ivory turtleneck sweater which I paired with a mid-length black coat if it got chilly at night. I also curled my hair and put on a little makeup.

After all the Barbie Bella makeovers growing up, I actually got the hang of doing my own hair and some light makeup. I never did heavy makeup but I had to force myself to doll up for work and started doing things on my own. Once I stepped out of my room, Alice was actually impressed with my clothing choice and approved the hair and makeup. I guess I really surprised her and she said that she was finally rubbing off on me.

The doorbell rang so I got up and opened it to see Emmett, Jasper and Rose standing at the door. They were all smiles and Emmett came in and said with his loud booming voice, "BELLS, little sis! Good to see you! You look great!!" as he gave me a bear hug and picked me up off the ground.

"I can't … breathe!" I said as he put me down and laughed his signature booming laugh. He always called me little sis ever since we were kids.

Jasper came next and pulled me into a big hug too and said "How are you doing?! We all missed you!" it was such a Jasper thing to say. He was always so nice and sensitive. I was so happy seeing them and being together with everyone again!

I did notice that Edward wasn't there. He probably decided not to come. Thank God! Doing a little victory dance in my mind.

Alice probably saw the relief on my face and then said "Edward's going to meet us at the restaurant he had to go to work today since he has a big case coming up". Damn, she had to ruin the moment. My face went back to looking like I was upset and I think Emmett and Jasper noticed it too. They knew what happened that night from Rose and Alice and knew that we were not on good terms. We never were even growing up so I don't know why everyone was so sensitive about it now. They all know our feelings for each other and I thought they all felt the same but apparently I guess everyone changed their minds. I wonder what happened that changed their minds?

"So you still hate Edward?" Emmett asked in a quiet voice like he was scared of me.

"Yes" I gritted through my teeth, "I was hoping to not have to see him on my first night in New York but I heard that he's been hanging out with you all more now so I don't think I can avoid him anymore." I said sounding defeated again.

"Well, you know he's a lot different now, still somewhat the same but he's changed. He opened himself up to us and he actually likes being around us now which is something he's been doing for the past four years now." Jasper added while placing his hands on my shoulder trying to calm me down. I never knew how he could do that but he always just did and everything felt fine.

I still had no idea what they were all referring to about how he's changed and everything. I'm sure he was the same old Edward deep down inside. The one that I will always hate.

**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think. I'm really nervous about this since it's my first story. Thanks!! **


	3. My Side of the Story

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Chapter 3 – My Side of the Story

EPOV

So I've been told that I'm arrogant, cocky, selfish, etc, the list goes on and on. And I know how to use my charm and looks to get what I want but I never did it to intentionally hurt anyone. Women throw themselves at me all the time but that was because they wanted to do it and I didn't have to resist them. I just allowed it to happen, maybe too much and for too long. So why would I care? I didn't have to change. I liked who I was.

I grew up separating myself from my brother and sister and their friends because I wanted to live my own independent life. I didn't want to be dependent on them. I know that I could've been there more for my family while I was younger but I was so focused on enjoying my lifestyle and being with my own group of friends that I ended up drifting further and further away from them.

Until that graduation night when I talked to _her_ … She was my sister's best friend, Bella Swan and the bane of my existence. We never got along growing up and always fought every time we were in the same room together. I don't know what it was about her that made me so mad but she was always saying something that upset me. I think I was mainly upset because she didn't understand me at all and she was extremely stubborn. Probably the most stubborn person I have ever met, next to me.

But when she said _"Yes, I've always thought that ever since we were kids! WE ALL DO!"_ in regards to what type of person she thought I was. I realized that my own family felt the same way about me as much as she did and I didn't want them to hate me. What she said to me that night made me realize that I didn't want to be the person who I was known as and who I was becoming. An arrogant, selfish, insensitive, conceited playboy.

I could see the anger in her eyes and fury like I really affected her some way while we were growing up and all throughout this time. I didn't want to hurt anyone and here I hurt Bella, one of the closest friends to my family. Her words "_I hate you! I will always hate you!" _have always taunted me and made me wince each time I thought about it. It was hard to hear that someone hated me so much but then again I wasn't that fond of her as well. She always got under my skin.

Eventually, I realized that I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore so I decided to start looking for the right woman for me. No more games and no more playing around. It was time for me to be serious and I didn't want to separate myself from my family anymore. Of course, I never told anyone what she said to me that night but I had a feeling my family knew what happened. They were closer to Bella at that time more than to me and I was sure she told them what happened but I would never admit that I started to change because of what she said to me. Never!

Once Alice and Rose moved to New York, it gave me more opportunities to see them as well as Emmett and Jasper. We started going out a lot more to dinners, parties and just hanging out together like good friends. Eventually, they all warmed up to me again and it was like we were always close minus the last fifteen years. I even apologized to them for my past behavior and they welcomed me back with open arms. I was thankful for that and for letting me get closer to them.

Four years ago, I also got Max, who changed my life completely. I got Max right before I started law school because I thought he would keep me busy while I was trying to repair my relationship with my family. We did everything together and eventually he changed my ways with women, believe or not … You're probably wondering why or how a dog could change that?! Well, Max was extremely loyal and he never liked any of the women I would bring home or any woman that would approach us while we were out in public. I even thought having dog would attract women but apparently this dog didn't like the attention. He snapped at every woman that would come by and talk to me while we went running. He was fine with Alice and Rose but for some reason I think he knew it was because there were no hidden intentions there. Bottom line, he just didn't like any woman near me. None since I got him. He would bark at them viciously and excessively, which was odd for the type of dog he was. He wouldn't let anyone go near him or touch him, even the girls that I brought home that actually liked dogs. He wasn't dangerous but he would try and latch onto their clothes and growl, always dragging them towards the door, not letting go until they would leave the apartment. Either way, Max would always find some way to piss them off, with whatever it was, and they would threaten me with either keeping them or Max and of course, I would never give up Max for someone.

So once I got Max, it was a lot harder for me to focus on women and finding the right one. I wasn't trying to actively seek women anymore and I rarely brought them home for fear of getting sued for my dog's behavior. When I moved in with Emmett last year, he was shocked to see the behavior as well so I knew it wasn't just me. I even went so far as to try pet behavior counseling that I heard from a friend of mine that said it worked and at the end of the stupid ten sessions it didn't work either. It was a nightmare at first trying to get used to it but I knew deep down that he was just being protective of me and wanted me to find someone that was right for me. But I swear, dogs can be crazy sometimes and I truly believed that they all have a mind of their own.

So I had known for a few weeks now that Bella was moving to New York and moving in with Alice. She would living next door to me. This was just great. I was going to be miserable having to live next door to the one person that I couldn't stand being around. I promised Alice that I would be cordial and that I try not to say anything that would make Bella mad but this wasn't going to be easy because as soon as words would come out of my mouth, Bella would start getting angry.

I don't know why I disliked her so much. She grew up to be beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen, but we just never got along. Even as kids, I was always getting her mad but I really liked seeing her mad so I would provoke her more. I had no idea why, maybe it was a girls vs. boys, cooties thing but I knew that I particularly picked on her more so than I did with other girls. I started to think back as to when it all started with me being mean to her.

_--Flashback—_

"_I'm eight and you're six since I'm older than you I get to chose what I want to play and I want to play with the guitar that you're holding" I yelled at her and grabbed the guitar out of her hands running to stand on a chair. _

_She came back and hit me on the arm and yelled "It doesn't matter how old you are stupid, I was playing with it first, I saw it first so give it back". She was trying to jump up and grab the guitar from me._

"_No!" so I got up and lifted it as high in the air as I could so she couldn't reach it and grab it from me. I saw her pout and fling her arms and jump while trying to get to the guitar out of my hands but I knew victory was mine and she couldn't reach it. Yes, I won! And eventually she gave up and stomped over to where Alice was to play dolls, pouting the entire time. That was fun! I knew that I definitely wanted to do it again and see her reaction because it was so funny to me. She was so different than other girls because other girls would cry and whine and tell on me to their parents so that they can get their toys back and I would get into trouble all the time. Bella just sat there and pouted and never told on me. I would definitely have to do this again now that I know I won't get into trouble, laughing to myself. _

_--End of Flashback--_

That was the starting point to all the teasing. Of course, being young I kept instigating the torture because I knew that I wouldn't get into trouble so it just became a habit growing up. When we got older I focused more on the teasing and focused my efforts particularly on her because her reactions were not like typical girls. She always had a different reaction. She always surprised me with what she did or said.

I knew that being a jerk to her would bite me in the ass and the teasing ended up really pissing her off more that eventually she ended up hating me. And when she got older and had more clever comebacks to everything I did, it started making me mad. Eventually with all the bickering, I couldn't stand being around her.

So after that graduation night, I tried to avoid her at all costs. I knew she came to visit once a year to see Rose and Alice but I would make up that I was too busy with work or school just so that I wouldn't have to see her. I didn't want to be around someone that hated me. And I'm sure she didn't want to be around me.

One of the other things she said to me that night was _"And why do you care what I think anyways?"_ … something that has been haunting me till this day that I still have no answer to. I didn't like her in that way at all. We never got along and I knew nothing would ever happen. If anything, we'd probably fight and argue all the time because we just did. That was our nature.

I actually really surprised that she didn't become a lawyer because I'm sure our company could use one like her. Fiesty and argumentative and never willing to back down, ever. Perfect for the Cullen Law Group.

So the day had come that Bella landed in New York. My phone started ringing at some ungodly hour on a Saturday morning. I rolled over in my bed and reached over to grab the phone knowing full well who it was and who would wake me so early in the morning!

"Alice?" I mumbled into the phone.

"Edward Cullen, it's time for you to wake up! You have to go to work this morning!" Alice yelled like I was deaf.

I sat up, knowing anyways that it was time for me to go to work but I was still tired from having worked late the night before. I had a very important case that I was working on for MTV and had to get it done this week. "I'm up, I'm up" I mumbled to Alice.

"Good, and don't forget that we're going to Roma's tonight for Bella's First New York Dinner as a New York resident, I picked out your clothes and hung them in your bathroom" I was about to ask her about it but stopped because I knew I would be getting myself into more trouble by asking but it always surprised me how she was always able to get into our apartment and pick out my clothes. That little devious pixie of a sister.

"You know, Alice, maybe it's not such a good idea that I'm there, I know she hates me and all and I don't want to ruin her first night here." I tried again to get out of the dinner like I have been for the past two weeks but I knew I couldn't. Alice would kill me. Maybe I can make up something later on while I was at work.

"Oh No, you don't Edward Anthony Cullen! You have to go! Everyone has to go! And plus, she doesn't know yet that you've changed and for the better! You have to let her see that at least! You promised me that you would be civil! So NO, you can't get out of it and don't even think about making up an excuse later while you're at work or I will come and hunt you down!" she yelled even louder than before. I winced knowing that she would probably really mean it and wondered how she knew what I was thinking. Plus, she used my full name which was never a good thing around Alice.

"Alright, alright, I'll go … I have to go now anyways since I have walk Max and head over to work, see you tonight" I hung up the phone dreading every moment until tonight's dinner.

I got myself up to get ready for the day and wondered why everyone was so pushy about us getting along and actually being friends. I knew that I didn't ever want to be friends with her but I think it was for the sake of everyone else that they wanted so desperately for us to get along since we would be hanging out with each more often. Everyone else assured me that she would change once she knew I had changed but something tells me this wasn't going to be as easy as it sounds.

**A/N: I have a few more chapters drafted out but I might still change up a few things. Hopefully now you see Edward's POV and understand that they both don't like being around each other. I hope this brings more insight into the development of the story. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks! **


	4. Roma's

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I am trying hard to make Edward sound more manly ... It's tough for me to do it from a guy's POV because I'm not a guy. I'm trying though ... If it ends up badly, I will most likely finish the rest of the story in Bella's POV. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Chapter 4 – Roma's

BPOV

We arrived at Roma's and sat down at our table. I was relieved that we got there before him, and I wanted to sit where I didn't have to be near him. With two couples, that was going to be hard. So, of course, we all sat down and the empty chair across from me was for Edward. Just great…now I would have to sit here and look at his stupid face during the entire dinner and hope to God that I wouldn't throw up.

We all started scanning the menu, and I realized that my phone was ringing. I looked at the caller ID and it was George! I picked up the phone and squealed, "George!", with a huge smile on my face, then excused myself from the table to talk to him outside. Rose and Alice yelled after me, "Tell George we said hi!", and I nodded as I headed outside the restaurant.

EPOV

I looked at the clock in the office and realized it was time for me to start heading to the restaurant. I was close to the front of the restaurant when I froze in my place. I saw a beautiful woman with long, brown hair standing outside wearing a black coat with tight jeans and black boots. SHIT! Then I realized it was _her_. She was talking on her cell phone looking really happy, laughing and giggling. She looked so beautiful, but I had stop thinking that and remind myself that I couldn't stand being around her.

As I got closer, I could hear her chatting away on the phone. Her voice always sounded wonderful to my ears when she wasn't yelling, screaming or being angry — something I never got to really experience since that was all we did when we were together.

"George, you are so funny! You know that I miss you too!" she said in such an ecstatic tone. I could only figure that this George was someone she was dating. She started laughing and giggling again, and I could only roll my eyes at their conversation.

As I stepped toward the door to open it, I heard her again, "Goodnight George, I'll see you soon! Love you!" He probably was her boyfriend, and it sounded like he was coming to visit.

As I opened the door, she turned back to go into the restaurant and looked up at me. Once she realized that it was me, her smile slowly faded. I could tell that she wasn't happy to see me. Our eyes locked, and I looked into her deep, brown eyes for just a second before she looked away.

"Hello, Swan," I said as I motioned for her to go inside. "Ladies first." I saw her snicker a bit, and she walked inside saying in an icy tone, "Hello, Cullen". She never called me by my first name, and I don't think she ever would. I always called her by her last name too, except for that one graduation night. I still don't know why I called her Bella that time.

I followed her into the restaurant hoping that I didn't have to sit near her. But when I saw the table and the two empty seats across from each other, I knew that I had no choice. Everyone turned and was surprised that we came in together. Bella sat down in one of the empty seats, and I sat in the other.

"Hey guys," I said to everyone else, giving them a slight nod.

"Hey, little bro! Did you get much done on the MTV case?" Emmett asked.

"Nah, I still have a lot to do…more long nights this week," I sighed.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that Lauren will keep you company," Emmett said while raising his eyebrows, implying something that I'm sure he didn't want to say out loud in front of the girls. I rolled my eyes. Lauren was our law-student intern. She was cute but annoying, and it was my parents' policy never to mix business with pleasure.

I saw Alice looking at me giving me a stern eye, so I replied back, "What?", shrugging my shoulders. "You know I'm not going to do anything. You know mom and dad's policy at work," as I saw Bella roll her eyes in disgust.

To change the subject, I started talking to Emmett and Jasper, asking them about their day, when I overheard Bella talking to Rose and Alice.

"George says hi to you guys too, and he's coming to visit in a few weeks! I hope that's okay, Alice."

"That's totally fine! You know we've been waiting to meet him for the past four years now!" Alice squealed while Rose nodded in agreement.

I was surprised to hear that someone has been with her for so long and that she wasn't engaged yet. Who can stand being around her for so long with her arguing all the time?

Dinner started with both of us ignoring each other. I could tell though that everyone else felt awkward, so I tried to start some conversation to ease the tension in the air.

"So…how do you like the apartment?" Could I have thought of something else to ask? I was seriously at a loss for words since I had no idea what to talk to her about.

"It's nice," she said with a fake smile that I was all too familiar with. I could tell she was trying to be pleasant, but I knew it was hard for her to suppress her anger.

"So…are you excited to start working at _The New Yorker_?" Another lame question. I should just shut up now.

She looked at me curiously as if she was thinking whether or not I was being genuine when I asked her that question. Like, if I really wanted to know or if I was just trying to pass the time. She saw right through me and gritted through her teeth, "Yes, I'm excited, and you know you don't have to ask me questions. I can tell you just want to pass the time with small talk while we sit here and eat. I'm perfectly fine sitting here eating my dinner and _not_ having to talk to you. In fact, maybe you should stop asking me questions, since I clearly don't need another dinner to be ruined by you!" she said hotly. I could see the anger fill her eyes again.

Everyone stopped talking and stared at us. I didn't say anything to piss her off, and here she was mad at me again. What the hell did I do now?!

"Honestly, I was just trying to be nice and ask you a few questions. What the hell is with the attitude problem? And I didn't come here to ruin your dinner! So if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving now so you can enjoy the rest of your dinner in peace!" I yelled as I got up from the table.

Rose and Alice looked at us in shock with their mouths open not saying a word. Emmett and Jasper looked at me, pleading with me to sit back down.

"OH NO, you don't!" Bella yelled, "You're not leaving, I'm leaving! I don't even know why I came to this stupid dinner knowing that you were going to be here!!" She glared at me and Alice. She stood up from her chair so quickly that she slammed into a waiter carrying five plates of pasta. Food went flying in all directions, and everyone in the entire restaurant was looking at us. She gasped at what happened, and the waiter was cursing at her. But she was still so angry that she grabbed her coat, muttered an apology to the waiter and stormed out of the restaurant.

Rose and Alice glowered at me like it was my fault. They always blamed me, but I knew that I didn't start it this time. SHE did!

"She's right, even though I would hate to agree with her. I don't know why you guys convinced me to come to this stupid dinner with _her_ here. From now on, just keep me out of things that you plan to do with _her_. You can see that we will never be friends, so just drop it!" I scowled at Alice before I stalked out of the restaurant. As I left, I could barely hear Alice mumble, "There's no hope, is there?" in a voice that sounded like tears were about to fill her eyes.

**A/N: I know that this is a short chapter but trust me, I have three more chapters already written to add I'm just waiting to get some feedback from a friend before posting. It gets better after this! I hope! Please review! And who is George?! You'll find out later ... muahahaa ... **


	5. Maggie

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and being so encouraging! I hope you continue to like where I'm going with this. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Chapter 5 – Maggie

BPOV

So it's been almost a week now since the infamous dinner. Alice apologized to me about forcing me to go, and I apologized back that I shouldn't have been so rude. In fact, I apologized to everyone who was there that night. Except for Edward, of course.

I was still mad at him, but I started to actually feel bad about my behavior. Why? Why should I feel bad? He deserved it, right? Well, maybe he didn't. I didn't know what set me off. I'm sure he was just trying to be nice by asking me questions. I knew that I was always putting up this wall when he was around because he would torment me so much when we were growing up. I didn't have tolerance to even listen to him or think that he was actually trying to be nice. I always thought there was some ulterior motive to why he talked to me, so I kept my guard up and looked for underlying intentions. I know it's horrible for me to do that, but I guess it was also because all the guys who ever talked to me had their own personal agendas.

What's worse is that I had only two serious relationships in the past, and both ended with my boyfriends cheating on me. It didn't help my self-confidence at all, let alone my trust. My high-school boyfriend during my junior year became a player while we were going out, and I found out that he cheated on me with the entire cheerleading squad. That was nauseating! And then my college boyfriend ended up cheating on me with a group of sorority girls, an act he claimed was part of the pledging process and he was thereby forced to do it. Yeah, Right!

Aside from the boyfriends, I dated guys throughout college and high school. But I knew all of them had other intentions and thoughts. It took only one date for me to figure it out, and I never gave anyone a second chance. It was like I was a magnet for disaster with relationships.

As a result of all that, I felt I needed to protect myself from guys like my ex-boyfriends and Edward. I tried dating a few guys here and there after college, but that was hard since I got Mags. Maggie was very protective of me, so any time a guy would come over to pick me up for a date she would start barking madly and going crazy! I had no idea what was wrong with her. She even did this to any guy who would approach us while I was walking her in public. It was like she didn't want anyone of the opposite sex near me. It was odd behavior because I knew that she was always fine around Ben and George. I just couldn't understand it. A guy would barely even step foot over the threshold of the doorway, and she'd already have her teeth set on his pants ready to rip them off at any second. I got so frustrated that I eventually had to stop having guys meet me at my place for fear that she would attack them. Some even went as far as asking me to choose them over her, but I would never give up Mags — ever. And eventually I even took her to a dog aggression behavior consultant that I was hoping would work but didn't. I ultimately gave up fighting with her, so it's been difficult for me to meet guys. I started getting this feeling that I would end up this single, old woman with a dog who hated all men.

I haven't seen Edward all week, but I knew from what Alice told me that he was busy working overtime because of some big case he had with MTV. I felt guilty about what happened at the restaurant and even contemplated apologizing to him. But I don't know if I would have the guts to do so. Plus, I never back down. Ever. I was just too stubborn that way.

The week flew by quickly. Alice had managed to force me to go shopping a few more times. I admitted to her that I didn't mind and actually enjoyed it. Big mistake. She was so excited that she almost choked me to death when she hugged me.

Friday came, and I had to step out to get groceries and things for Maggie, who was coming the following day. I was so excited! It's been the longest time that we've been away from each other, but Angela and Ben assured me that she was fine.

It was close to dinner time, and I was rushing to get back since I knew I had to meet Alice by 8pm at the apartment. I had a ton of bags with me, and Arthur tried to help, but I didn't want to bother him. So I trudged into the elevator with my bags. The elevator dinged on the 30th floor, and the doors opened. I stepped in front of our front door trying to fish my keys out of my purse. All the while, I was trying to balance all the bags that I had in my hands. Then I heard a dog barking. It was coming from Rose's place. It was probably Max, but I never heard him bark before nor have I seen what type of dog he was. But from what I assumed, he sounded like a vicious guard dog. He sounded really angry. Then I heard growling and yelling between two people. I wondered what on earth was going on, so I turned my head to look toward their door. Just as I turned my head, the door flung wide open.

I saw a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed woman stumble out of the apartment. She had her chewed-up shoes in her hands, and her skirt hem looked like it had been gnawed on. I saw that she was clutching her Gucci purse like she was playing tug of war with something when I heard the growling again. She was yelling at the top of lungs and screaming for dear life, "EDWARD! Get this MUTT off of my purse! GET HIM OFF NOW!!"

"MAX, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! LET GO!" Edward yelled. And right when that happened, she flung across the hallway and hit the wall because of the force she used when pulling against her purse.

I stood frozen with my mouth open, looking at the scene before me and not knowing if I should start laughing or feel sorry for the poor woman that looked like she had the worst day of her life. I saw Edward step out and close the door trying to help her, but she got up and backed away from him, yelling and cursing. She told him that he had to choose her or Max. Meanwhile I could still hear Max barking excessively behind the door. Once she said that, I didn't feel sorry for her anymore since I knew full well that he would never give up Max for her. Not that I knew Edward that well to know what he would do. But he owned a dog, and all dog owners were loyal to their pets.

I snapped back to reality and quickly dug into my purse to find my keys. After all, I didn't want Edward to see me gawking at them. I needed to get into the apartment as soon as I could. It was too late, though. The woman was walking toward the elevator as she continued to scream at him. They were right behind me now, and she kept muttering that she was going to sue him. I could tell he was trying very hard not to get her more upset. I didn't know if it was because he was really afraid that she would sue or if he really liked her. I, too, would be afraid of someone suing me because of Maggie, so I actually felt sorry for him. I struggled with the keys again and tried to get the damn door open. I heard the elevator ding and she stepped in, still cursing and screaming. Our door finally opened, and I practically ran in while pulling all my bags inside.

When I turned to close the door, that's when it happened. I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw Edward kissing her in the elevator as the doors were about to close. I screamed, "YOU'RE SUCH AN ASS!" and slammed the door shut.

I couldn't believe it! What a JERK! He was going to give up Max for her! I was more upset about the fact that he would be that type of person who would give up his dog for someone! But of course he would be that type of person! Stupid Bella, what was I thinking? He was heartless and cruel! How could I even think that I felt sorry for him? How could I even believe that he would never give up Max for a woman?! He hadn't changed at all!! I was so angry!!!

Luckily Alice wasn't home yet or she would've freaked out about my scream. Cursing at him under my breath, I started to put away the groceries and tried to calm down when suddenly our doorbell rang. Assuming it was Rose and Emmett, I didn't bother to look through the peephole. So I just flung the door open and saw _him_ standing there.

I was so mad and screamed, "What do you want, Cullen?!"

"I know you saw what happened, but let me explain," he replied back, sounding unsurprised at my anger.

"You don't have to explain anything to me. You don't owe me any explanations. You just confirmed everything that I've always thought about you — you haven't changed one bit, and you're still the heartless son of a bitch that you always have been! I cannot believe that you would give up Max for her! She was probably some girl you knew for, oh, an hour? And you end up picking her over Max?! You're unbelievable!" I yelled back while crossing my arms and staring daggers at him.

I could tell now that my response got him upset, which isn't surprising. Everything I say always gets him upset. I could feel the wrath from his eyes as he yelled back, "YOU DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL! HOW COULD YOU —" And with that, I slammed the door in his face to let him know that I knew him damn well, that's for sure. And to even think that I was going to apologize to him for what happened at dinner!

I was so angry about it that I didn't bother telling anyone what I saw or witnessed. I went into my room and didn't come out for the rest of the night. I told Alice I wasn't feeling well and decided to just stay in my room listening to my iPod and doing some writing. It was hard to keep my mind off being so angry at him. And I started worrying about Max — what would happen to him? Even though I've never seen or met Max, I love dogs and I couldn't bear the fact that he would give up Max for someone. I ended up drifting off to sleep and woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that it was bright and sunny outside.

I picked up my phone and mumbled, "Hello?"

"Bella, it's me, Angela. We're about thirty minutes away from your place, so I thought I'd wake you to get ready!" Angela said excitedly.

I got up and looked at my clock wondering what time it was, "Oh my God! I overslept!" I said as I could hear laughing in the background coming from Ben. "I'll get ready right now and meet you downstairs," as I flung the covers off me and jumped up from bed.

"All right, see you soon!" Angela said and hung up.

I quickly got ready and threw on sweat pants and a T-shirt so I could help them move my things. I ran into the elevator and out the front door and saw my white Range Rover SUV alongside Arthur helping Angela and Ben. I ran over to them and gave them both a hug. And then I saw my Maggie! I let her out of her traveling crate, and she came out throwing herself on me and licking me on my face. "I missed you so much, Mags! I'm so glad you're finally here!" I kept petting and hugging her. I knew she missed me just as much as I missed her.

I put Maggie on her leash and told Angela and Ben that I was going to bring her upstairs first and then come back down to help. I couldn't help but notice Arthur's smile like he was about to say something but stopped himself. I didn't bother asking him about it, so I ran inside with Maggie. As soon as we stepped inside the elevator, Maggie kept sniffing around, which was odd. I never noticed her do that before. But she kept on sniffing every corner of the elevator the entire ride up. As soon as we got off, she started sniffing the hallway again and practically started to drag me over to Edward's unit down the hall. I knew right then that she smelled Max. Great! She was usually fine with other dogs, but I don't know what got her all rattled up. "Mags, NO!" I yelled as she kept trying to go toward that direction like she was curious about something. I ignored it and opened the door to our apartment to let her in.

Alice came out of her room with her sleeping mask above her eyes and her pajamas looking disoriented. Maggie ran up to her legs, and Alice almost jumped back. Alice was looking at Maggie curiously and thinking. I couldn't place why she had this probing look on her face. I didn't want to ask, so I just said, "Alice, this is Mags, my Maggie!"

Alice jumped up excitedly, "Oh my gosh! You're Maggie!!" I wonder why she would say that. Whose dog would she be? It was so weird! Maybe she just wasn't awake enough yet.

"Angela and Ben are downstairs with my car. I'm going to run back down there and help them out. Just leave Maggie in my room. She's acting up a little because I think she smells Max. I'll be back soon! Thanks, Alice!"

After an hour of moving my things into the apartment, Angela and Ben left telling me that they actually got a hotel to stay at because they didn't want to impose. I had a feeling it was because they wanted to be alone, so I didn't argue with them. But I thanked them again for driving my car all the way here and helping me out. We ended up making plans to go out to dinner that night, so I gave them both hugs again and they left.

I started to unpack while Maggie was roaming around the apartment to try and get to know the place. I could tell she was really excited as her tail kept wagging, and she was prancing around everywhere. But then I noticed that she plopped herself right in front of the front door, staring at it and then back at me like she wanted me to take her outside. Her head kept going back and forth between me and the door, so I thought maybe she needed to pee badly.

I got up quickly and grabbed her leash. She was jumping up and down. Usually as soon as she sees me grab her leash she gets really excited at the fact that we would be going outside. So I put her leash on and I opened the door. I didn't expect what would happen next. She bolted to Edward's unit while pulling me along. I had to grip hard on the leash and pull her towards the elevator. Maggie was a medium-sized dog, and I knew that if I used all my strength I could hold her back and pull her to where we needed to go.

I yelled, "Maggie, NO!" forcefully so she knew that she wasn't supposed to be dragging me. She was usually an obedient dog, but this time she was fighting against me. I had no idea why she was acting so strange. After some pulling and yanking, I finally got her into the elevator and walked outside. I didn't want to go too far since I had to finish unpacking. As it turned out, she didn't need to go pee at all. In fact, now she was trying to drag me back inside the apartment building. I tried to get her to walk with me away from the building, but she placed her butt firmly to the ground and would not budge. I pulled and yanked her toward me yelling, "MAGGIE! LET'S GO!" But she barely moved. I finally gave up. What was wrong with her?!

I bent down to look at her and told her, "I have no idea why you are acting so strange, but you have to stop. I need to unpack so let's go back upstairs and be good, okay?"

She stiffened up listening to me and we went back inside. I took her back up the elevator, and once the doors opened on our floor, she tried to charge toward Edward's place again! Here we go again! "Maggie! NO! STOP!" I yelled as I pulled her into our apartment and quickly closed the door. I could tell she still wanted to go outside again as she plopped herself right in front of the door once more and was moving her head between the door and me. She was acting so weird. I took her to dog parks in San Francisco so she could interact with other dogs while she grew up, and she was always fine around them and always listened to me. She never acted like this before. I couldn't place my finger on why she was misbehaving, so I just ignored her and went back to unpacking. I didn't have time for her little games.

Alice came to help me unpack as well, and I had her go through all my clothes. She ended up getting rid of more than half of the clothes that I packed and then forced me to go shopping again to make up for all the clothes that she wanted to burn.

By the time we were finished unpacking, it was time to get ready for dinner with Angela and Ben. Maggie still didn't move from where she was and ended up lying right in front of the door. When it was time for us to leave the apartment, I had to hold her back while Alice got the front door open to slip outside. I threw Maggie a dog treat that she ran to go get while I slipped outside as well. I've never had to do that before, and I felt bad tricking her. But she would not move from the front door, and we had to get out without her trying to bolt outside again.

Alice noticed the weird behavior as well and told me not to worry about it. It was really bothering me, but I pushed it toward the back of my mind as we headed to dinner. I was happy to hear that Edward wasn't going to be there because I would've yelled at him some more. He was probably off with that girl from the elevator and trying to figure out what to do with Max. All I could think of was poor Max…

**A/N: What do you think so far? Please review! **


	6. Central Park

**A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner. It turns out that my friend who was helping me edit this story can no longer help so I'm in need for a Beta for this story. Please let me know if you can help. I have about 7 more chapters drawn up for this so the sooner I can find someone the faster you'll get the chapters! =) **

**This is the longest chapter yet so I hope you enjoy it! I know I did when I wrote it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

Chapter 6 – Central Park

EPOV

Friday was a shitty day. I'd been on enough dates with Megan away from the apartment (and from Max) that I thought it was time for her to finally meet Max to test the waters. Of course, Max went nuts again. To top it off, all of this happened right in front of Bella, which led to another damn argument!

I don't know why she was so mad, and I realized it was because she really believed that I would choose Megan over Max. Yeah, right! I would NEVER do that. I only kissed Megan so that she would forget about suing me and to keep her mind off it. I had to react quickly and that was the only thing I could think of. I knew my good looks and charm would come in handy. I felt bad using them to my advantage again like I did in the past, but I had to do something for Max's sake.

But why would she care so much about Max? It's not like she's even met him or that she has a dog herself.

As if I hadn't dug a deep enough hole. Bella now thinks the worst of me and is probably coming up with her own opinions about the situation. Not that I didn't deserve it — because anyone would've misunderstood what happened by seeing it from the outside. The fact that it was Bella who saw it, however, made the situation a hundred times worse because I knew she wouldn't let it go and wouldn't understand why I did it. Hell, she wouldn't even let me explain what happened.

It still bothered me that night about what she said and that I haven't changed. I _did_ change! She just didn't open her damn eyes! She was so stubborn!

Saturday morning, I got up early and took Max out for a walk. When we came back I noticed that he kept sniffing around in the elevator. I didn't think much of it, probably just some new dog in the apartment building. The elevator dinged on our floor and the doors opened. I started walking toward our place, but he kept sniffing around, particularly outside Alice's door. It was so strange because he never did that before. I pulled him toward our place. He was reluctant to come but followed me while staring at Alice's door the entire time. _I wonder what it is._

Once we got inside the apartment, he didn't move away from the front door. He just sat there staring at it, and then to me like he wanted to go outside again. I just ignored him since we just came back from the park. I doubt he needed to go outside again and figured he was probably just acting up.

The weirdest thing happened when Rose and Emmett were about to leave for dinner to meet up with Bella and Alice and some of their old college friends. As Rose and Emmett were about to open the door, Max started jumping up and down and getting really excited. Rose looked at him first and was a little hesitant to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Max charged outside. Rose yelled, "MAX! NO!", while Emmett grabbed him and pulled him back inside.

"I wonder what's going on with Max. He's never done that before," Emmett said.

"I have no idea. He's been acting weird all day, especially when he goes out into the hallway and the elevator," I replied.

"Did the Clarks and their dogs in the other unit move out already? Maybe that's why he's acting up." Rose asked.

I shook my head, "No, I don't think that's it. He was always fine around the Clarks's dogs. Besides, they moved out two weeks ago. By the way, I was lucky to snatch up the unit from them at such a good deal. I finally have my own place so I can leave you two lovebirds alone."

"You know you're fine to stay with us here, bro. We'd never force you to move out. But the privacy _would_ be nice. We can be as loud as want now!" Emmett said with an evil grin as Rose slapped him across the arm.

I laughed, "I know that, but you're engaged now and it's time for me to get my own place. Although, you'll have to be stuck with me for a few more weeks, since we have to make a few repairs and changes to the apartment. So you'll still have to deal with not being loud until I move. I don't need to hear or see anything!" I said seriously to both of them while they laughed. I did not need to walk in on them doing God knows what. I've already been on guard since moving in with Emmett.

"The best part is that the unit is only down the hall, so we're all still on the same floor," I said, smiling. I gripped Max's collar. "I'll hold onto Max, while you two slip out for dinner."

"Are you sure you don't want to come, bro?" Emmett asked cautiously. I knew he was trying to be sensitive about the situation because Bella would be there.

"Nah, I'm fine. I was going to stay in and have a quiet night anyway. Have fun!" I said as they opened the door and left the apartment.

I let go of Max and immediately he went right back to the front door and plopped himself down in front of it, staring at it again and then back at me.

"Max! Quit being so weird!" I said to him and turned back to the TV.

The next morning, I woke up and got ready to take Max to Central Park for our regular Sunday morning jog. I put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It was getting colder outside now that September was ending and October was just around the corner. I grabbed Max's leash and walked out into the living room. I saw him again lying on the floor right in front of the door again, staring at it. He did that all night.

I walked over to him, and as soon as he saw the leash, he was jumping up and down and going around in circles. I put the leash on him, and just as I opened the door he made a charge toward the elevator and Alice's door. While we were waiting for the elevator, he kept sniffing around Alice's door, then stopped and came back to my side.

We got in the elevator, and he started sniffing around the elevator again. As soon as we stepped outside, he started pulling me toward Central Park. I was glad that he was excited about running so I started running with him. We got to Central Park and, since Max is so well trained, I usually let him run without the leash. He would always follow me so I wouldn't have to worry about him. Even though it's illegal to let a dog run around without a leash in the park, I never got caught. As we stepped into the park and ran a little further inside, I stopped to bend down and take off the leash. Right when that happened, he took off running. OH, SHIT!

"MAX! STOP!" I yelled running after him. He was running so fast I could barely keep up with him. He wouldn't stop.

"MAX!" I continued to yell as I followed him. I was starting to get tired. I saw him turn a corner and I thought I lost him. As I turned the corner, I came up to the dog park area. Thank God he came here because this was the only place in the park where dogs can roam free. There were so many people and dogs running around that it was hard for me to spot where he was. I kept scanning the area to look for him.

Eventually, I saw Max standing next to someone and another dog that looked identical to Max. Both dogs were barking at someone else who looked like they were running away. I still couldn't see too well since I was far away, so I started jogging up to them, still out of breath from chasing Max.

As I got closer, I noticed that it was a woman with long brown hair, and she was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I couldn't see her face since she was kneeling down looking at Max and petting him. I could also see her checking his collar, probably wondering what his name was.

As soon as I got close enough, her dog came running toward me, jumping up and down. She didn't even realize that her dog left. I grabbed onto her dog's collar and brought the dog back to where she was with Max.

It was definitely odd seeing Max being so friendly with a woman. He's never been like this — ever. He just stood there calmly letting her pet him and touch him without any of the barking. And from what I saw when I first started running over there, it looked like he was being protective of her. Maybe this was the one woman that Max would finally be able to be around without getting so upset. It's been four years and I've been waiting for something like this to happen, the time when Max would be fine around someone of the opposite sex. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I was getting excited. But I haven't even seen her face yet. And what if she's married? '_Stop it, Edward! It's just a woman!'_

I cleared my throat and said, "Excuse me, miss. But I think this is your dog and you have mine."

As I said that, I saw her freeze and then get up slowly. My eyes did a double take, and all I could think was, _'NO WAY! NOT HER!'_

BPOV

It was Sunday morning, so I got up and threw on some sweats because I've been waiting all week to take Maggie to Central Park. I grabbed her leash and went out into the living room to find that she didn't move an inch from her spot the night before. There she sat in front of the front door. I sighed and wondered why she was acting so strange. She _did_ get excited, though, as soon as she saw the leash.

As I opened the apartment door, she tried to make a dash toward Edward's place again. But I was able to yank her into the elevator.

It was definitely hard to get her to walk to Central Park. She kept trying to force me to go back to the apartment building, but I kept jogging so she would have to keep up with me. Eventually, she gave up and started running with me. We ran around Central Park and I went to the dog park area. There were so many people and their dogs running around, so I let Maggie go and she ran around playing with a few dogs.

As I sat on a bench, watching Maggie, I saw a creepy guy with brown hair and brown eyes approach me. He stopped a few feet from me and looked me up and down like he was mentally undressing me. I felt a shiver and shook it off. Oh, great! Why me?!

"Excuse me miss, but is this seat taken?" he asked and smiled, trying to sound smooth. What a loser!

"Oh, um…" I replied. And before I could say anything, he sat down next to me as close as he could get. I tried scooting away and almost fell off the bench.

"I'm Eric. What is a beautiful girl like you doing sitting here all alone? We could go back to my place and change that," he said in a slimy way and winked at me. GROSS!

I've been in situations like this before and finally got up the courage of standing up for myself. "Uh, NO! PERVERT!" I yelled back and got up from the bench as he tried to wrap one arm around my shoulder and the other hand on my thigh. Just then, Maggie came up and started barking at him viciously and grabbed onto his pant leg, growling. At the same time, another dog that looked just like Maggie came up and started barking at him as well. Eric was so scared his eyes were popping out of their sockets and he was trying to run away. Maggie finally let go seeing that he was trying to leave, and I had to hold her and the other dog back so that they wouldn't run after them.

"Good girl, Mags! Thank you!" I hugged Maggie fiercely for saving me and started petting the other dog. I knelt down to look at both of them and noticed how similar they were; only that Maggie was slightly smaller in size. It was amazing how they were identical. I let go of Maggie and went to look at the collar of the other dog. I picked up his dog tag and it said "Maximilian". What a cute name. I scanned around to see if the owner was anywhere so I could thank them for their dog saving me, but no one seemed to claim him. I continued to look at the dog and said, "Thank you! You are such a good boy, Maximilian."

Then I heard very familiar, deep, musical voice say, "Excuse me miss, but I think this is your dog and you have mine."

I froze in shock. It can't be. No way. I stared at Maximilian. Maximilian…Max?! I stood up slowly, and there in front of me was Edward Cullen. He looked just as shocked as I was. I looked at his dog and then at him and said, "Wait…you…and you…this is _your_ dog?!"

He nodded and said to me, "And this is _your_ dog?" as he pointed at Maggie as I nodded. I had no idea that Maggie even left us. The odd thing about this was that Maggie wasn't acting up around Edward at all. He was holding onto her collar with his hand on her head and she was fine. No barking, no growling, nothing. Of all people, she had to be fine with him! I would've wanted her to attack him, but she was fine. She even stood close to him she was leaning against his legs. Damn it, Maggie!

"Um…can I have Max back now?" he said to me, holding out Maggie to exchange for Max.

"No!" I yelled back at him. He was going to get rid of Max, and I couldn't let him do that.

He looked really surprised at my answer as I pulled Max away from him while yelling out, "Maggie, come here now!" But she didn't budge. Plus he was holding onto her collar so she couldn't move.

"Why can't I have him back?" he asked calmly, although I could tell he was starting to get angry.

"Because you're getting rid of him for that woman. How could you?! You are such a jerk! If you want to get rid of him so you can play the field, I'll take him. But you're not taking him to the pound!" I screamed, backing away from him while gripping onto Max. At this time, people were staring at us. I felt like we were always in situations where everyone would turn their heads to stare. I hated that!

I saw him thinking more about what I said and it looked like something clicked in this head. But he replied back calmly again, "Swan, I'm not getting rid of Max. I'm sorry that you think that because of what happened on Friday, but I would never get rid of Max for someone."

I started thinking about what he said, staring at him to see if he was being sincere. I could tell that he meant he was not going to give up Max. But that made me think he was even worse for kissing that girl to lead her on. That made me so mad.

I stepped back to him and gave him Max in exchange for Maggie while I replied back coldly, "Fine, I believe you. But I still can't believe what kind of sick game you're playing with that woman and leading her on. It's so typical of you."

I put Maggie's leash on her while he did the same with Max. I started to walk off in the opposite direction of where we were standing, but Maggie wouldn't budge. Her butt was seated firmly on the ground right next to Max, who was in the same position. This time, I tried yanking and pulling to get her to go, but she was like a rock.

"YOU don't know anything about me, and you always judge people and come to your own conclusions, MISS I-KNOW-EVERYTHING!" Edward snapped with his back toward me. I saw him struggling to pull Max as well.

I turned back to face him and stepped closer to him and yelled back, "YOU don't know ME at all! And I know perfectly well what type of person you are and have always been!!"

At that moment, he turned back to face me and we were so close to each other's faces that I could feel his breath on my face and smell his scent, which was…amazing! _STOP IT, BELLA!_ _YOU HATE HIM, REMEMBER?_ Shocked at my thoughts, I took a few steps back.

"I don't know why I even bother trying to explain myself to you of all people. Forget it! Max, Let's go!" he yelled and then started pulling on Max. Of course, Edward was stronger and was able to make Max move a bit, but it looked like Max still didn't want to get up to go. "MAX!" he yelled while trying to drag him to go. At this point, Max was trying hard not to move and stay close to Maggie.

Maggie started inching toward them, and I yanked on her leash to walk in the opposite direction. "MAGS! Stop it right now!" I tried pulling with all my might and still couldn't make her move. I saw that Edward didn't get very far either and that both dogs were still planted next to each other. I had no idea what to do. I wasn't going to leave her there and sure as hell wasn't going to have Edward bring her back for me.

After all the pulling and the yanking for what must've been fifteen minutes, I could see that Edward's face — and I was sure mine too — was beet red from trying to pull the dogs. People were still staring at us. Eventually I pulled so hard that I fell hard on my butt. "Ow!" I yelled. "MAGGIE! LET"S GO NOW!" I screamed at her and still no movement. I saw that Edward saw what happened and was trying hard not to laugh. I'm sure I would've been laughing too, but I couldn't let him see that. This was just ridiculous!

Eventually, we both gave up and looked at each other in defeat. He spoke first and said, "Alright, apparently we can't get them to move. So I think we're going to have to walk back together or we could be out here all day doing this."

I was reluctant to agree but ended up sighing in defeat, "Fine, but that doesn't mean I'm going to talk to you!"

"Fine!" he said back, annoyed.

As we started to walk in the same direction, both Max and Maggie got up and started walking side by side. I knew it! Those little devils had their own agenda. Both Edward and I rolled our eyes once they started walking next to each other. I still walked as far as I could from him because I didn't want our shoulders to touch.

As we walked through the park, I could see women staring at us and gawking at Edward. I rolled my eyes again wondering why women were always throwing themselves at him. There was really nothing there besides the outside appearance.

I also looked down at Max and Mags, and they looked so happy walking together and trying to play around at the same time. I've never seen Maggie this happy before. Could it be that she was in love? NO, dogs don't fall in love, right? If she was in love, why _his_ dog of all dogs? This was just great! I was cursed with the worst luck in the world.

The silence was starting to get to me, but I didn't want him to say anything or I would start getting mad again. He finally broke the ice and said, "I know we agreed on not talking, but how about not talking about ourselves and just asking questions about Max and Maggie?"

I thought about what he said. That sounds fair. This should be fine, right? I don't think I'd get mad at him, so I agreed nodding my head. "What do you want to know?"

"How old is Maggie and where did you get her?" he asked with interest. I could tell he really wanted to know so I decided to open up and talk to him nicely.

"She's four years old. I got her in San Francisco right after Rose and Alice moved to New York. I felt lonely and needed something to keep me busy. Growing up, I've always loved dogs and knew that I would get one eventually, and it was the right time. What about Max? How old is he?"

"I got Max four years ago too, right before I started law school at Harvard. I was trying to…" he paused to think and then said, "I was trying to keep myself busy too."

_Yeah, busy with all the girls_, I thought and rolled my eyes. "I'm sure you thought Max would be a chick magnet for you, right? I mean that must've been one of the reasons why you got him." I said bluntly. Damn, I knew I was definitely thinking it and now I was slapping myself internally for saying it out loud. Why did I always have to open my big mouth and speak without thinking?!

I looked at him and his face tensed up. He snapped back and said, seething, "As a matter of fact, Swan, that wasn't a reason why I got him."

I could tell this was going downhill again and fast. Here goes the bickering again. "Oh sure, that wasn't one of the reasons. Right, Cullen, I believe you," I said sarcastically.

He sighed and mumbled, "I won't even bother" so quietly that I knew he didn't want me to hear it. There was silence again, but luckily we were right outside the apartment building now. Arthur smiled at the both of us. I could barely give a smile back because of my irritation with the person standing next to me. I think he could sense that we were arguing and looked away.

We stepped into the elevator, and a thick, icy layer was in the air. I was standing as far away as I could possibly be from him. All I could think of was that I just wanted to get into the apartment as soon as possible.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped out as quickly and walked to our door. Edward started walking toward his door as fast as he could as well, but Max and Maggie started acting up again. Maggie was going toward Max, and Max was going toward Maggie. "MAGS! STOP IT NOW!" I yelled at Maggie, pulling her into the apartment with all my strength.

"MAX! COME INSIDE!" Edward yelled at Max, and again we were pulling two dogs that were inseparable forces.

I pulled as hard as I could and managed to get her through our apartment door, and I saw that Edward was able to do the same down the hall. I also realized that I forgot to thank him for Max saving me. But I figured I'd do it some other time when we weren't mad at each other. Which means…that was _never_ going to happen.

**A/N: What do you think? Please review!!! **


	7. The Longest Day

**A/N: First of all, I would like to say a BIG THANKS to my Beta Reader, An End Has a Start. You are the best! She is truly amazing! I am a huge fan of her stories! If you haven't read them, please check them out. I have four of them in my favorites!! And she's saved as one of my favorite authors!  
**

**Here is the next chapter. I hope this brings some sort of movement in the E&B relationship but please keep in mind that they hate each other. More so on Bella's side so she can't just fall in love with him immediately. It will take time but I hope this sheds some light on why and that there is some slight movement in the relationship ... there will be lots more coming later in the next chapters! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 7 – The Longest Day**

BPOV

Once inside the apartment, I realized that we were actually almost having a decent normal conversation before I had to open up my big mouth. And then I heard the whimpering from Maggie which brought me out of my thoughts. She was whining and scratching her paw against the door wanting to go out and be with Max. I tried pulling her into my room but she wasn't having it. I gave up and let her stare at the front door again. This time she ignored me. She was sulking. I felt bad but there was no way I was going to go over to his apartment. I just left her there and tried to drown out the whimpering with my music.

Alice was awake now and came running over to my room. "Where did you go this morning? I came out and you and Mags were gone" she said cheerfully.

"I took her out to go jogging in Central Park, you'll never guess who I ran into," I said dreadfully flopping myself onto my bed.

"Who?! From the looks of it, something bad happened, you have to tell me! Tell me now!" she insisted. She was always so demanding when she wanted to know something.

"I ran into your brother and Max!" I groaned and threw my face into my pillow.

"Oh no, what happened?! Isabella Marie Swan did you guys get into a fight again?!" she was shrieking now and had both of her hands on her hips.

I started to tell her all the details about what happened and her eyes widened when I told her about Max and Maggie. She kept saying "AWWW!" when I told her about their behavior and about Max and Maggie saving me from Eric.

I rolled my eyes, "Alice you can't fall for their behavior, they are just dogs, come on."

"But dogs can fall in love too! Have you ever seen Lady in the Tramp and 101 Dalmatians?! Oh my GOD! What if they have puppies together?!" she was squealing now and jumping up and down.

I shook my head, "No, that's not going to happen because I had her fixed when she was younger, so nope, no puppies and especially not with his dog!"

"What's wrong with Max? He's a good dog!" Alice said defensively.

"No, nothing is wrong with Max, he's a good dog and I like him a lot but I just don't like his owner! He makes me so mad! I don't want to have anything to do with him and now because of these two love sick dogs I will probably end up seeing him more now, ugh!" I said and fell back into my pillow again.

I went on with the rest of the story and ended up telling her about what happened on Friday night with the blond woman and at the Park today. She frowned about it and then got upset but not at Edward but at me, "Bella, I think you're reading too much into this, have you ever thought that maybe Edward kissed that blond because he didn't want to get sued and lose Max?"

"No, I didn't think about that … but why would he kiss her then? I mean that doesn't solve anything," I said sounding uncertain of my thoughts. I mean, I know that I always jumped to conclusions and most of the time I was right or at least I thought I was but maybe this time I was wrong.

"Duh, Dummy Pants! He was probably doing it so she would forget about her suing him, don't you know that girls are dazzled by Edward Cullen! Can you imagine what would happen if he kissed a girl?! I'm sure she forgot her name, where she was and what happened," Alice said with a smirk.

I didn't think about that. I was never dazzled by him in any way or anyone for that matter. So I had no idea what she meant but I guess she was right. I started to feel bad again. Me and my stupid judgments!

"And why do you have to be so blunt all the time, Bells?! It sounded like you two were somewhat starting to talk to each other like normal people and now it's all gone to shit," she said frowning again.

"It's not like I was planning for it to happen, he just gets under my skin and makes me upset! You know how I feel about guys like him, Alice, you've seen it happen to me before!" I yelled back and she winced a little remembering the times that I was hurt by guys like Edward.

Right then, we heard the loud whimpering from Maggie again. Alice looked at me with concern in her eyes, "You can't keep them separated Bella, Mags sounds so sad, you have to let them be together!"

"NO, she will stay in here and that's final!" I said forcefully.

Alice was not happy with that. "Fine! Be a Debbie Downer!" she stuck her tongue out at me and walked back into her room.

The whimpering didn't stop all day. I tried to zone it out with music so I wouldn't feel guilty every time I heard it. I knew it was breaking her heart that she couldn't be with Max and she was slowly breaking mine. I was just too stubborn to let it go.

Before I went to bed, I noticed that Maggie scratched up the front door. Alice was going to kill me! I hissed at Maggie "No! Stop Maggie! I know you want to be with Max but you can't right now, he lives with Edward and you live with me, okay?" Here I was trying to talk sense into her and I knew she wouldn't understand me but deep down I hoped she would.

I went into my room and tried to sleep. I kept rolling around thinking about Max and Maggie. Could dogs really fall in love? And am I being cruel and heartless that I won't break down my wall to allow Maggie to spend time with Max? Was I being too stubborn? I sighed not knowing what to do. Eventually, I fell asleep but I woke up again to the pitch black of my room and Maggie's loud whimpering. I rolled over and looked at the clock 3:13am. I sighed and the guilt washed over me. I decided I had to do something. If the whimpering woke Alice up, she would kill me.

I grabbed her leash walked into the living room and put it on her. She was so excited and I'm sure figured out where we were going. We walked out of the apartment and down the hall to Edward's place with Maggie pulling my slow and tired body. I knocked on the door hoping that someone would hear me. It was 3am! What the hell was I thinking? Who would be awake at this hour?! And I hope Emmett and Rose don't come out and shoot me for waking them up but I remembered that they were both heavy sleepers and I felt relieved again. I could hear Max's whimpering on the other side of the door.

Open the door, please, open the door …

The door opened and Maggie charged inside with all her strength towards Max. I let go of her leash but with the momentum of her pull, I got pushed on top of Edward and we both tumbled to the floor. I was lying on top of him now and I could feel the strength of his arms wrapped around me and both of my hands were placed against his muscular chest trying to brace myself for my fall. I felt an electric shock pulsate through my body from his touch and I could smell his sweet scent. I then looked to down to see that he was wearing only a pair of black pajama pants. _Oh Dear GOD, don't look at his chest, Bella! _I screamed at myself. _Keep the eyes on the face only! And move your damn hands NOW! _

And then I realized that I didn't even bother putting my robe on before I came over. I was lying on top of him in my way too short blue pajama shorts and lace pink spaghetti strap camisole. I could feel my face turn bright red and was trying hard to stop the blushing. I could only imagine what my hair looked like and tried not to think about it.

I immediately pushed myself off him and out of his arms and got up to stand in the hallway. I tried to shield my body with my arms but that didn't help much.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry about that!" I whispered. He sat up looking a little shocked. He stood up quickly and ran his hand through his hair. I could tell he wasn't sleeping well either. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was messy and he was rubbing his eyes so that they could adjust to the light in the hallway

"I'm so sorry to wake you," I whispered. "She has been whimpering all day and I couldn't sleep. I wanted to see if you were okay if she just stays here overnight with Max, I'll come and get her in the morning, I hope that it's not too much trouble."

"I couldn't sleep either and was about to come over and do the same thing, Max has been driving me crazy all day! But it looks like you beat me to it," he whispered back and smiled at me with a smile that I've never noticed before. It was a crooked smile that made my heart flip flop. What the hell is going on?! _Stop it BELLA! It's just Edward! _

"Okay, well, I'll come by tomorrow morning around 7 and get her," I said very quickly turning to go back to my apartment. He reached out and grabbed my arm. As soon as he touched it, I felt the same electric pulse I felt when I was on top of him. He must've felt it too because he immediately let go.

"Wait," he said whispering. I turned back to face him, looking only at his face. "You don't start work until next week right?" I nodded. "How about you watch them during the day and I can take them at night this week. I go to work around 8 so I'll come by in the morning and drop them off."

I shook my head "No, I don't want to trouble you."

"You're not troubling me at all and besides it doesn't seem as if we are ever going to be able to separate them, look at them," he pointed inside in the dark that I could barely make out two shapes cuddled up and sleeping next to each other on a dog pillow. It was so cute.

I sighed. "Alright then, thanks and good night!" I said and walked away right before I turned around remembering to say "Oh and Edward," I finally said his first name, it wasn't too bad. I always thought I would throw up in my mouth if I ever did have to say it but I was fine. He looked at me surprised, "I just wanted to say thank you for Max saving me today." I smiled at him.

"Oh, yeah, I just caught the end of that, no problem, I'm glad that Max was there to help," he smiled back.

I started walking back to my apartment and heard him say, "Good Night, Bella," and then he closed his door.

I scrambled back into my apartment and flung myself onto my bed. WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED? We actually talked like two normal people. No fighting, no bickering, no cursing. I didn't even have thoughts about hating him in my mind. Maybe both of us were disoriented from the lack of sleep.

The fact that he didn't have his shirt on was really distracting and the electricity when our skin touched. What was that all about? And I even called him by his first name! What was wrong with me? Was I getting soft? NO! I have to stand my ground. I hate him! Don't forget it!

I rolled around and couldn't sleep again. I was trying to remind myself why I hated him and why I could never be friends with him.

_--Flashback-- _

_It was the end of my sophomore year in high school. My boyfriend recently made the soccer team and started getting popular. I was always surprised that he would like me. He was cute, smart, funny and athletic. I always doubted that someone like him would go out with someone like me. Until the last day of school, I was looking for him after his soccer practice and saw him in the gym lip locking with a cheerleader. Then he told me he didn't want me anymore and that he actually hooked up with the entire cheerleading squad. _

_I ran out of the gym and into the empty baseball field and sat down on the closest bench to me as tears filled my eyes. I thought I was alone. And then I heard two people close to me._

"_Eddie!" I heard a girl say and heard her giggle. As I turned my head, I saw Edward sitting a few benches away hugging and kissing the head cheerleader, Jessica, great! I just saw my boyfriend making out with a cheerleader and found out that he cheated on me with the entire cheerleading squad and now one of the dumb bimbos was sitting next to me and with Edward, the last person I wanted to see me like this. _

_The tears began to fall faster and I was wiping them away from my eyes. I got up to run away and tried to get away before they saw me but it was too late. _

"_Oh Swan, why are you crying?" Jessica said mocking me, "Did someone tell you they didn't want you? That you weren't pretty enough or hot enough for him, look at you! You're pathetic! You really thought that he wanted to be with you! HAHAHAHA!" I heard her say while she was laughing at me. _

_I turned around to face them, ignoring Edward, who I was sure was laughing as well, "Oh yeah, you know what I found out … that you're a slut and a bitch, oh what a surprise there." I said back hotly and gave her a death stare. _

"_Oh and did you know that he hooked up with all the other cheerleaders on your squad too?" her mouth dropped open in shock, "I just caught him making out with another cheerleader in the gym and from what it looked like it was getting hot and heavy in there. Boy, I'm glad that I didn't do anything with him because he did mention something to me about … what was it again … genital warts? Hmmm …" as I said that I saw her running away screaming. It actually cheered me up a little to see that but I was still upset. _

_I glared at him and he looked like he was about to say something but I stopped him before he could say anything more that would hurt me. "And YOU!" I pointed to him. _

_"I don't need you to say anything to me right now, DON'T you even dare try to make some stupid remark or comment. I'm sure you agree with Jessica. I mean she is what … you're play thing! You're just like him!" I looked at him with disgust and yelled, "Maybe you need to check yourself too, you wouldn't want to be with someone's sloppy seconds or maybe it's some sick fetish that you have!" and then I ran off with tears streaming down my face. _

_--End of Flashback-- _

He was a senior that year and that was the last time I saw him during the high school years. He never spoke to me about what happened. I was sure that he agreed with Jessica and that I was proud of myself for stopping him before he said anything more that day that could've upset me. I never did see him laugh at me that day but I'm sure he was.

Tears started filling my eyes again at the memory. What was I thinking about being nice to him? Did I even think that we could be friends? Did I think he would ever like me? Why would I even think that? Why did I put down my wall that I have fought so long to build up?

Tomorrow, I was going back to who I was. No more being nice! I cried myself to sleep, finally re-confirming my hatred again and why I could never be friends with Edward Cullen.

* * *

**A/N: I know this sounds like it's going back to square one again but I promise the next chapter there is a more movement in the E&B relationship ... I'll be posting up the next chapter soon ... I'm just making a few tweaks to it. I hope you are enjoying this. Please review! **


	8. Custody Arrangement

**A/N: Thanks again to my beta reader, An End Has a Start! And thank you to those who reviewed and added this story to their alerts and favorites. **

**I was going to post this up earlier but I couldn't log on for the past three days due to a technical glitch. **

**I'm hoping that this would shed more light on the E&B relationship and Bella's feelings toward Edward. I hope that you like it!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 8 – Custody Arrangement**

BPOV

The next morning, I woke up and walked to my bathroom to get ready. I gasped as I saw myself in the mirror. _Oh MY GOD I look like a frog!_ I thought as I looked at my red puffy eyes and cheeks. I immediately put some eye cream on to help the swelling go down and brushed my hair that was a huge mess. I heard the doorbell and put on my navy blue silk mid-thigh length robe before answering the door.

I opened it to see Max and Maggie playing around, happy as can be. I only wished that I could be that happy. I looked up and saw Edward dressed in a black suit with a navy blue tie and white dress shirt, holding his briefcase. He looked like he was ready to go to a photo shoot.

Edward handed me their leashes and said with a smile, "Good Morning, Bella!" obviously, he was happy about our exchange last night but that only reminded me that I couldn't be as friendly back. The wall had to be in place. I avoided his eyes and kept looking at our dogs.

"Good Morning," I muttered through my clenched teeth.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he chuckled as I looked up and glared at him. He saw my eyes and could tell right away that something was wrong. His smile faded and he immediately stiffened up, "What happened? What's wrong?" he said. It sounded like he was concerned but I doubted it.

I took the leashes from him and pulled the dogs inside. I took a deep breath and acted like there was nothing wrong. There was no point to start fighting with him again. "It's nothing. Can you come back and pick them up at 7 and we'll keep doing this all week until we can figure something else out to make this work?" I said waiting for him to respond.

He nodded and as I started closing the door, he pushed his arm against it holding it back. "What happened? What's wrong?" he said with concern in his voice. I didn't know if he actually cared but I knew that it had to be this way. I had to stand firm.

"Nothing happened. I just didn't sleep well."

He could tell that I was lying. I was the worst liar in the world. He looked at me again and sighed in defeat letting go of the door. He walked toward the elevator mumbling a bye as he left. I shut the door and sank down to the floor. I sat with my back propped up against the door. Max and Maggie looked at me curiously. I'm sure they were probably wondering what the hell was going on.

I was so frustrated about the situation. I didn't know what I wanted. It was like I wanted to hate him but yet everything was pulling us together like magnets, polar opposites. Our friends and now our dogs, what next?!

And everything was telling me that he was different but I just wouldn't open my eyes. I was stuck in a place where I didn't know if I should continue to be mean bitchy Bella or if I should at least be civil. Should I be civil? It didn't mean that we had to be friends just acquaintances.

Alice came out of her room, dressed for work and was ready to leave when she saw me with both Max and Maggie. She could tell something was bothering me. She ran over to me and threw her arms around me.

"What happened?" she asked curiously. She looked at me with concern and saw Max and I could tell that something clicked in her head.

"What did he do this time?"

"Nothing, it's just…I'm so frustrated with myself! AHH!" I screamed and threw my hands up in the air. "It's like something keeps pulling us together ever since I got here. I didn't want to see him or talk to him and now everything that happens keeps pushing us together. I'm just so confused!"

"You know sooner or later you will be friends, maybe even something more than that and there is nothing you can do about it. I know that will happen," Alice said with certainty like she could predict the future. And what the hell did she mean by maybe even something more. We could never be a couple that would just be insane! We fight like crazy!

I yelled, "WHAT?! NO! Alice you know how I feel about guys like him. I can never be friends with him or even something more." I cringed at that thought.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Bella! You should just let things be. You can't prevent things from happening and you need to start putting your walls down or seriously you will stay a single old maid forever!"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, let's just drop it."

I didn't want to argue with her. Her words stung like a bee because that was my biggest fear, that I would be alone forever. I was always alone. I would never find my soul mate like Alice and Rose had.

I could tell that Alice knew her words affected me but she didn't say anything more. She helped me up from the door, gave me a hug and left for work.

The rest of the week passed by with me watching over Max and Maggie during the day and Edward picking them up at 7pm at night. It was like we were divorced parents and going through some sort of custody arrangement with our dogs. It was getting ridiculous.

All through the week, we didn't say much to each other during the exchanges but I knew that we had to figure out a solution to this because it was impossible to keep this up.

It was finally Saturday and I wanted to go to the local bookstore that I saw a week ago and was dying to check out. It was only a few blocks away and it was huge. I knew I would spend a good amount of time there so I got up early to meet Edward and pick up Max and Maggie. I let them back into our apartment.

They strolled in running to the dog bed. I took out a few dog treats and feed them. Maggie happily ate hers while Max pushed his treat toward Maggie, wanting her to eat it. She sat back down on the dog bed ignoring him as he gave up waiting for her. He finally ate the treat and sat back down next to her.

It was funny how their affection toward each other was growing and I could see it change daily with the subtle little changes in their behavior. It was like they were made for each other.

After brushing both of their coats, I was off to the bookstore.

It was a huge store about three stories high and wasn't very crowded when I got there. I wandered around for a few minutes before placing myself in the classics section and then moving toward the fiction section after an hour. I finally looked down at my watch and realized that I had sat there for a good three hours and had to start heading back home.

I had a stack of books that I wanted to purchase and started moving toward the cash register when I saw someone with messy bronze hair walking around. I could recognize that bronze hair a mile away.

_What was he doing here?! Please don't see me! _

I tried my best to avoid him, hiding among the tall bookshelves trying to make my way to the cashier. I saw that he was being distracted by a tall, brunette as they were chatting on the side. _Good, a distraction! _

By this time, the bookstore was crowded now and as I got to the cashier line I groaned as I noticed that I was stuck at the end of a very long line. I kept my eyes on the cash register counting down numbers in my head to make sure that the time would move faster and pray that Edward wouldn't see me.

I finally reached the cashier, who was a short blonde teenager with black-rimmed glasses. She rang up my stack of ten books and said, "Your total comes to $151.45."

I fumbled through my purse looking for my wallet.

_Where is that damn thing? _

After a few minutes, I could see the cashier getting impatient as well as the customers waiting in line behind me. I dumped my entire purse on the counter to look for my wallet and then I realized that I left my wallet in another purse back at home. I slapped my hand to my forehead.

"Oh my God! I left my wallet at home," The cashier rolled her eyes at me. "Is it possible if you hold these books for me and I'll come right back and pay for them? I live just around the corner so I will be back in less than ten minutes, please?" I asked nicely hoping that she wouldn't have them restock my books. It took forever for me to find these.

"I'm sorry Miss but we're going to have to restock these, we don't have space to hold anything," she hissed.

I heard some guy behind me yell, "Oh come on, already! Hurry up! I've been waiting here for twenty minutes."

And then some woman yelled, "She forgot her wallet!"

Then there a chorus of groans and more shouting, "Just move out of the line and let us pay!"

I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks turning it red. I had to keep pleading to see if she could at least hold them on the side. As I was about to say something, I heard a familiar musical voice from behind me, "Is something wrong here?" I cringed.

_Why does this have to happen to me?_

The cashier who was shooting daggers at me softened her gaze as she looked behind me. I tried putting my hands up to shield my face but it was too late. I saw that Edward stepped closer to me now and was standing next to my side. "No! Nothing is wrong!" I said quickly still not looking at him.

The cashier ignored me and gawked at Edward, "She was just about to leave." She glared at me and then looked back at Edward, "She forgot her wallet and was asking if we could hold her books but we can't."

There was plenty of space there. She just didn't want to help me.

"Well, I'm sure that we can figure something out," he said to the cashier flashing one of his charming smiles trying to dazzle her. I could see now that she was almost speechless. "Here take my card," he said as he reached for his wallet and took out his credit card.

"Wait, What are you doing?!" I said as I looked up at him.

"I'm helping you out, you can just pay me back later," he said.

"No, No, I'm fine." I said shaking my head and pushing his hand back. I didn't want him to pay for this and I hated when people helped me.

I turned back to the cashier and said, "Please don't take his card. Can you please hold the books for me and I'll be back in less than ten minutes? Please?" I said pleading. She scowled at me again while I broke her trance from gazing at Edward.

_How does he do that to people? Does he have super powers or something? _

"I'm sorry Miss but NO!" she yelled. I could tell I was getting on her nerves. I shrunk back looking defeated.

The woman behind me in line yelled again, "Oh come on already! Move it!"

There were more groans and shouting behind me. Edward turned back to the woman in line and said something to her which I'm sure he dazzled her as she shut up right away.

He then turned back to the cashier and said, "Stacy," how did he know her name? I looked and saw the name tag on her vest.

"Could you please hold these books for her then? I see that you have some space there and she only really lives a few blocks from here. She should be back in less than ten minutes. I promise you that." He said again trying to charm the pants off the cashier. Apparently, it seemed to work and she said, "Uh, uh … um, okay but I'll hold them for you not for _her._" She shot daggers at me again.

I turned to him and said politely, "Thank you for helping me." I couldn't be mean to him. He just helped me and saved me time.

"You're welcome. Are you okay here? Did you need any more help?" he said.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks," I said as he walked out of the store.

I slowly made my way away from the counter and heard someone shout "Finally!"

I walked back to the apartment and got my wallet to head back to the bookstore and pay for my things.

_What just happened? _

Edward was nice to me and helped me out. Granted he did use his charm which always annoyed me but he did me a favor. I started to feel bad because he helped me and I was always so mean to him. He didn't deserve all the treatment that I gave him.

I was in lost my thoughts and realized that I actually had a date tonight. I met this guy named Chris on Wednesday at the Starbucks down the street. He was tall and cute with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. We chatted for about two hours and I figured he was normal enough to go on a date with him. He wanted to meet at 7pm but since I had to hand over Max and Maggie to Edward at 7pm, I told him to come by 7:30pm to pick me up. That would help since Maggie would be with Edward and I wouldn't have to worry about a dog attack.

Alice helped me pick out my outfit and was really excited that I was giving this guy a chance.

"Bella, I'm so excited that you're finally letting your guard down and testing out the waters," she smiled at me.

"Alice, you know that I've been on dates with guys before, what makes this any different? This is just the first test date, don't forget," I said.

"I know but after all the tiffs with Edward I thought you would swear off guys for good so I'm glad that this is actually your first date in New York! There are plenty of guys here in the city so you should definitely make the most of it," she smirked. I could tell she was already planning things in her devious little head.

"Don't you dare get any ideas of setting me up on dates. You know I hate blind dates! And this is just my first test date in New York so we'll see how it goes."

First Test Date was a term that Rose, Alice and I came up with in college. First dates were always a way for us to test out the waters with a guy. If he passed the first test date then we would be okay going on a second date.

As I started changing, I heard my ring tone coming from my purse.

_Womanizer, woman-womanizer_

_You're a womanizer_

_Oh, womanizer, oh_

_You're a womanizer, baby_

_(Womanizer – Britney Spears)_

I went over to look for my phone and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Bella, I'm running thirty minutes late tonight so I won't be there until 7:30pm to pick up Max and Maggie," Edward said quickly.

"Wait, no, you can't come at 7:30pm," I said back.

"Uh, hello … hello … the reception here is horrible … I didn't hear yo–" and the phone cut off.

GREAT! He was coming at 7:30pm, the same time as Chris! I'll just have to tell Alice to hold Maggie back while I slipped out. I don't think I have to worry about Max. Hopefully Edward would be here early to avoid all of this anyways.

I was ready to go in my dark skinny jeans, brown knee high boots, and tight dark brown v-neck sweater. I straightened my hair this time so it was flat and long. I threw on my black wool coat and grabbed my Burberry plaid khaki scarf and my matching Burberry purse.

I sat outside in the living room flipping through the recent issue of the _New Yorker_, waiting and watching the clock as the doorbell rang. I could see Max and Maggie's ears and heads perk up curious as to who was at the door. It was 7:30pm so it could either be Edward or Chris at the door.

"Alice, can you come out and hold onto Maggie for me just in case it's Chris and I have to slip out?" I said as she came outside her room and grabbed onto Maggie's collar with one hand and petting Max with her other hand. Both Max and Mags were starting to get antsy to see who it was at the door. I was worried that she might not be strong enough to hold them both back just in case it was Chris.

I opened the door and there was Chris standing in the doorway in his dark jeans and black turtleneck sweater and black overcoat. He looked good. I could hear Maggie starting to bark so I tried to step out as fast as I could to close the door.

He threw me a smile and said, "Hey, Bella, are you ready t–" but before he could finish his sentence, Max had lunged towards him.

Alice and I both screamed and because Alice was so shocked at what happened she let go of Maggie as well. Then, Maggie charged towards Chris. Both dogs threw themselves at him so he fell back onto the floor. Max was on top of him and Maggie was latched onto his pant leg pulling at it.

At that moment, things could not have gotten any worse but with my luck, it did. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to Edward standing there staring at us in shock at the scene before him.

Alice was screaming at Max and Maggie and I was trying to pull them both off Chris. Chris was trying to get both dogs off of him by kicking and screaming like a girl while trying to protect his face with his hands. Did he really care about that with both dogs going at him? He must be really conceited.

His girlish screams were all I could hear over the loud barking, "AHHHH! Get these disgusting things off me!"

Disgusting Things, he called them disgusting things! Now, I was pissed! I didn't need a test date to see what type of person he was. Edward finally stepped out of the elevator and instead of the shock that we present on his face a second ago he was now laughing at the chaos before him.

"Uh, a little help, Edward!" I yelled and glared at him. He came over still laughing and grabbed onto Max's collar and pulled him away.

"Come…hahaha…on...hahaha…Max…hahaha...Stop!" he tried to yell through his chuckles. He was able to hold Max back but Max kept barking at Chris excessively.

I was able to finally pull Maggie away and Alice grabbed hold of her again. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Chris!" I said. I still had to be nice even though the guy was a major douche bag. As I helped him get up, I could see the fear in his eyes.

Both dogs were still barking at him and before I could even say anything, Chris hopped into the elevator, grabbing the rail bar like his life depended on it. I could see that his legs were trembling.

Max tried to lunge at Chris again but luckily Edward held him back. I heard more girlish screams and saw that he was clutching the rail bar as hard as he could with his eyes closed. As the doors closed in front of him I barely heard him yell out, "I don't think this is a good idea, don't call me, I'll call you."

He looked like he was about to pee in his pants. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I started laughing. I turned to see that Edward was practically on the floor laughing as well as Alice.

I turned to Alice, "I guess there goes my first date in New York!"

"I'm so sorry Bella, I had no idea that Max and Maggie would go crazy like that! BUT it was so funny! His screaming was worse than a girl," she said giggling.

"Don't worry about it Alice, I got to do my test. That guy was a real jerk for calling Max and Maggie 'disgusting things' so I'm glad this happened. Plus, that look on his face before the elevator door closed was priceless!" I said laughing again.

After a few more minutes, we finally calmed down. I handed over Maggie to Edward for the night.

He said with a smile, "Sorry for your date not working out but that was awesome entertainment for the night."

He paused for a second thinking about something and then said, "So…Did you want to talk more about the arrangement with Max and Maggie? It is the end of the week now and I think we should talk about how we want to do this moving forward."

I thought about it for a moment still a little hesitant to have another conversation with him especially after this morning at the bookstore but I decided to be nice.

"Sure, how about tomorrow?"

He nodded and said, "We can go to Estelle's down the street for breakfast and bring Max and Maggie, does that work?"

WAIT, HOLD UP! Was he asking me out on a date?! _NO! Stupid Bella!_ It's not a date; it's only to talk about the arrangement for our dogs.

I paused a bit before I could answer, "Uh, sure, see you tomorrow at 9am."

I followed Alice back into the apartment closing the door behind me. Alice flashed me a huge smile before skipping to her room saying, "Mark my words, Bella! You will become friends and maybe something more, never bet against me …"

I never did bet against Alice because she was always right about things but this time I made sure that I did bet against her.

* * *

**A/N: I'm trying to move forward with the relationship and I hope it comes off that Bella is no longer being such a bitch to him ... let me know what you think. I had to re-write this a few times to get it where I wanted it to be. Please review!! Thank you!! **

**And the next chapter will be at Estelle's! It's more E&B action! I will update soon! **


	9. Estelle's

**A/N: Thanks again to my beta reader, An End Has a Start! And thank you to those who reviewed and added this story to their alerts and favorites. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 9 – Estelle's**

EPOV

I went back to the apartment with Max and Maggie and couldn't help but still laugh at what happened with Bella's date. That guy was such an ass. And I was surprised that Max was so protective of Bella. He's never been like that to anyone before.

I was sort of glad that Chris didn't pass her so-called "test", whatever that means. Why was I glad? It's not like I liked her, right? But it was like there was something there pushing us together.

The night when she brought Maggie over for the first time, fell on top of me and I wrapped her in my arms to brace her fall I didn't want to let go. It was like she was a perfect fit and I felt the electricity that shot through me when I touched her. Of course, I think being so close to me repulsed her as she pulled away so quickly that I was surprised how she got out of my hold. Then I realized that she was wearing very skimpy pajamas and I couldn't help but think that I needed to go take a cold shower right after she left.

But it was our conversation that night that surprised me. She was actually being nice and I was being nice and we got along. And she called me by my first name! That was a shock and it was like music to my ears when she said it. I thought we were making progress at possibly becoming friends but that didn't last long though because that morning she went back to being closed off. I could tell she had been crying the night before but I had no idea what it was about. She said it was nothing but I knew not to believe her. I could tell she was lying. She was a bad liar. I ended up leaving and since I didn't want to argue with her because I knew she was in pain.

It was odd thinking this about Bella. We couldn't stand each other and now I was thinking about holding her and touching her? What the hell was going on with me?

I was surprised to see her in the bookstore. I tried to help her but she was adamant about me not helping. I wasn't sure if it was because she still hated me. I could sense that I was bothering her so I left after asking her if everything was okay. And when I came home that night to see Max and Maggie barking at Chris it erased all the tension in the air. So I thought it would be good to go to Estelle's to discuss what we were going to do with Max and Maggie.

But there was still one thing bothering me, who was George? I thought George was her boyfriend from her phone call with him at Roma's but she was going on a date with this guy. She's not the type of person to date around, hell; she gives me grief about my past dating ways so I don't think she was doing that. I couldn't come out and ask her because she'd think I was jealous or something. Not that I was. I've never been jealous of anyone or anything. But that one question still bothered me and was nagging at me all night…who was George?!

BPOV

I got up in the morning and got dressed in jeans, a white turtleneck sweater with a navy blue hoodie to go with Edward to Estelle's. I haven't been there yet so I was sort of glad that he suggested the place. It was supposed to be a nice coffee shop that was known for their amazing breakfasts and they were pet friendly.

I grabbed my brown Gucci purse and headed out the door toward Edward's unit. He came out in jeans and a grey crewneck sweater and had both Max and Maggie with him. I grabbed Maggie's leash and told him to lead the way.

We got to Estelle's which was a cute little coffee shop about three blocks away from our place. It was definitely old but it had a nostalgic feel to it. I could smell the coffee as we stepped inside. The waitress looked up at Edward and immediately smiled. I could tell she knew him. She was an older woman around her 60's with white hair.

"Hello, Edward and Max!" she said in her raspy voice, smiling to him and at Max. She then turned her head and smiled at me and looked down at Maggie. "And who is this?" she pointed to Maggie.

"That's Maggie and I'm Bella, it's nice to meet you!" I said as she smiled down at Maggie.

"I'm Estelle, it's nice to meet you too dear!" she said and winked at me.

"Hey Estelle, can we get a table for two for the patio, please?" Edward said to her as she grabbed two menus, nodded at him and started walking to the side of the restaurant motioning us to follow her.

She led us to a patio that overlooked the sidewalk but was fenced off with a white picket fence that had ivy and wild flowers intertwined into it. There were also heating lamps near the tables which helped with the cold. The area was empty so it was just the two of us there. We sat down and she set down the menus and looked at both of us again and smiled. I thought it was strange but didn't think too much about it.

"I'll be back soon to take your orders dears," she said as she walked away.

"Wow, this place is amazing! It's so cute, I hope the food is just as good," I said to him while looking through the menu. Max and Maggie both lay down at our sides next to each other.

"I'm glad you like it, it's one of the few pet friendly locations around our area so I come here pretty often with Max. Estelle and her husband, Frank, own the place. Frank makes the best breakfasts in town," he said while leaving the menu down in front of him. He seemed to already know what he wanted.

It took me a little bit until I decided on what I was going to get. "Ooohh, I know what I want now," I said licking my lips while putting the menu down.

Estelle came back over, "Okay dearies, what can I get ya?!"

Edward motioned for me to order first. "I'll have the Belgian Waffle with Strawberries and Whipped Cream and a Hot Chocolate, please," I said while I handed her back my menu.

"I'll have the usual, Estelle," Edward said back to her and she wrote everything down and walked away.

"The usual, huh? What's that?" I asked.

"Steak and Eggs and Orange Juice, the breakfast of champions," he said back and smiled.

"Okay, so what are we going to do with them?" I said and pointed at Max and Maggie.

"Good question, I have no idea. It's obvious that they can't be separated and I know you probably hate being away from Maggie and I hate being away from Max, we'll have to think of something to work with our schedules since you start work on Monday," he sighed and I nodded. This was not going to be easy.

We ended up talking about Max and Maggie throughout most of our conversation. I asked him for more pet friendly locations that I could take Maggie too and then asked him for vet and grooming recommendations.

We were so engulfed in our conversation and leaning closer into each other that I barely noticed when Estelle came back with our food and interrupted us. I jumped back in surprise when I heard her say, "Here you go, Bella," as she set down my plate.

"Here you go, Edward, Enjoy!" She set down Edward's plate in front of him and walked off to bring us back our drinks.

I finally had a moment to stop and think after all the talking. This is so odd! What is going on? We're actually getting along and I'm not being mean and he's not being mean.

I started cutting up my waffle, pushing away all my thoughts. I grabbed a bite. The waffle was amazing! I had to hold back my moan from the delicious waffle that was melting in my mouth. "MMMMMHHH … this is so good!" I said to Edward after I had finished swallowing. "This is the best waffle that I have ever had!"

He looked at me and laughed, "I told you that Frank makes the best breakfasts!"

He wasn't kidding. This was probably going to be my new favorite restaurant. And the fact that I could bring Maggie made it ten times better!

We sat there in silence, eating our food and I kept thinking about how strange this was all turning out. Could we be friends? How was that possible?

I brought myself out of my thoughts and I caught him staring at me and said, "What?"

He looked down at his plate and said, "Oh, nothing."

That was strange.

As we ate, the sidewalk was getting busier now and every woman that walked by would stare at Edward. Some would even open their mouths and gawk at him. It was starting to make me uncomfortable just sitting there eating with him. Of course, they would glare at me, probably wondering why he was eating with me. It was getting really annoying!

It was so bad that one woman literally slammed into the fire hydrant next to us and tripped over herself. I felt so embarrassed for her. She got up quickly and walked away. I turned my head back to my food and started shaking my head and laughing.

I looked up and saw Edward looking at me like I was a mad woman. "What?! Didn't you see what just happened?" I said as I kept laughing. He obviously didn't notice.

"Uh no, I didn't see anything, what happened?"

"You're telling me that you don't see all the women walking by staring at you open-mouthed with drool practically coming out of their mouths like they could eat you? And the fact that one even tripped over that fire hydrant over there?" I said while still giggling.

He looked at me like I was crazy, "Uh…no…I wasn't…I wasn't paying attention to them."

"Well, you're pretty unobservant than for being you. I would think that you wou–" and with that he quickly reached over and placed his hand over my mouth. I looked at him confused and raising my eyebrows.

"I wanted to stop you before saying something that might turn this into another argument. I know that I bring out the worst in you so I thought it was best to stop that from happening and we can continue with our breakfast. Now I'm going to let go but will you promise not to start an argument?" he said as I nodded and he released his hand from my mouth. My lips were tingling from his touch.

He was right, we were starting to get along and this breakfast was turning out to be nice so I didn't want to ruin it with having to storm out of here. Plus, I didn't want Estelle and Frank to think I was some sort of psycho freak.

Edward started asking about Maggie again so we kept talking. The conversation flowed smoothly and I started to forget about the gawking woman walking by. I actually felt comfortable talking to him. We only talked about Maggie and Max though and didn't get into any personal questions, which was good. I didn't want to know anything personal about him as I was sure my snide comments would come back. That just happened naturally and I knew that I had to stop but it would definitely take a lot of effort on my part to stop that from happening.

Eventually, I looked at the time and it had been three hours since we got to Estelle's. Edward excused himself to use the restroom and Estelle came over to clean up our dishes.

"You know, Bella, you are the first person that Edward has ever come in here with." I could tell she was trying to imply something but I had to put down that thought right away.

"Oh yeah, I just moved here, we grew up together and he was just showing me places where I can take Maggie. We're not really even friends. We don't get along very well," I said quickly to shoot down any thoughts that she might be having in her mind.

"Don't get along very well? Sure, dear, whatever you say! I hope to see more of you and Maggie!" she winked and walked away before I could say anything to her. Now she thinks something is going on too…what is with everyone?!

Edward came back and grabbed onto Max's leash, "You ready to go?"

"Um…don't we have to pay the bill?" I said back to him reluctant to get out of my seat.

"I took care of it already, let's go," he said and started walking out with Max.

I grabbed onto Maggie before she could run to Max's side and jumped out of my seat to follow him.

"What?! I'm not going to let you pay." I reached into my purse to grab some cash and pushed it toward him.

"I'm not taking it from you," he said as he kept walking back toward the apartment, pushing my hand away.

"NO! You have to take it!" I hissed pushing the money back to him with him swapping my hand away. I hated when people paid for me. So I said the next thing that came into my mind, "This wasn't a date and I don't want you to think it is!" I yelled back.

Oops…not again…

I could tell he was mad now. "I didn't take it as a date. And I'm not taking your money," he seethed.

"I know you're trying to be a gentleman but we're not even friends so please just take my money," I said again trying to hand him my money.

I saw him wince and he started walking faster away from me. What did I say? We're not friends so why did he get upset about that?

He ducked into the Starbucks near our apartment before I could say anything further. Great, wherever he goes I have to go because of Max and Maggie. Gah! Damn Dogs!

I followed him inside and saw all the women in the store turn their heads to stare at him. At this point, I was extremely annoyed. Before thinking, I just screamed out, "Why don't you take a picture? It lasts longer!"

As soon as I said that, everyone took out their cell phones and started snapping away. There was even an 80-year old grandma muttering to herself that she was going to show her 16-year old grand-daughter!

I definitely wasn't anticipating this response so I couldn't help but laugh. That really pissed Edward off. I saw that his jaw was clenched and his fists tightened as his eyes flashed at me with anger.

He grabbed his coffee and stormed out of the Starbucks with Max in tow. I reluctantly followed because of Maggie.

"So, what do you want to do this week with Max and Maggie, we never finalized that?" I asked as I looked at him.

He ignored me. He was still angry. I just kept laughing to myself. "That's what you get for not taking my money," I mumbled to myself, hoping he didn't hear me.

Arthur was there and opened the door for us. Again, he could sense that we were not on good terms and didn't say anything so he just smiled at us.

We walked into the elevator and there was silence.

I decided I should cut the tension in the air. He did treat me to breakfast and I didn't have to be mean to him about that. He was trying to be nice.

I said reluctantly, "Thank you for breakfast. I enjoyed Estelle's. I just hate it when people pay for me so next time, please don't worry about covering for my share."

He still seemed angry but not as angry. I could see his shoulders relax. He handed me Max's leash and said, "I'll pick them up at 7pm again and we'll do this again for the next week."

The elevator doors opened and we stepped out. I couldn't think of another solution to this so I guess I would have to go with what he suggested. This was going to be another long week.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. It's more E&B interaction and at least it's moving forward, right? Please review and let me know what you think.**

**The next chapter will be Bella's First Day at Work. It will introduce some new characters ... =)  
**


	10. First Day of Work

**A/N: Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start. She's been giving me some great advice on how to progress with the story. I think you'll like it. **

**This is more of a fluff chapter but it's important because it introduces a few characters into the story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 10 – First Day of Work**

BPOV

Edward and I weren't on speaking terms again after what happened at Starbucks on Saturday. What was the big deal anyways? It's not like he should care if people take pictures of him. He should be used to all the attention from women but for some reason he didn't like it. And he didn't notice it when we were at the restaurant. That struck me as odd because he always wanted attention especially from women while we were growing up.

_Maybe he did change?_

It was Monday morning now and today was my first day of work. I got out of bed and started getting ready. I could barely sleep because I was so excited about starting my new job. I curled my hair and threw on some light makeup.

Alice insisted on choosing my first day at work outfit and stressed that it was extremely important to make a good first impression, especially at Conde Nast. I wore black slacks with a silk navy blue long sleeved blouse. I grabbed my black wool coat, my three-inch Jimmy Choo shoes and black Chanel purse with my briefcase and headed out into the living room.

The doorbell rang and I knew it was Edward dropping off Max and Mags. I ran to the door, putting in my earrings and flung it open. He handed me the leashes and his face looked surprised. I had no idea why. This was just like any other day when he would drop off the dogs. I took off their leashes and let them inside to roam around. I started to put on my shoes and I noticed that he was still standing in the doorway staring at me. He looked lost in his thoughts.

I looked up at him and said, "What?"

He snapped out of whatever he was thinking and said, "Oh, uh…nothing…good luck with your first day at work." And he turned and went toward the elevator.

"Thanks!" I yelled out to him as the elevator door closed and I shut our door.

I guess we're on speaking terms again.

Alice came out of her room and said, "Are you ready for your first day, Bella? Let me check to make sure you look okay"

I made a few turns like I was modelling and showed her my bag and coat and she approved before we stepped out the door. Rose met us in the hallway. I started getting extremely nervous for my first day. I could already tell that the dress code at Conde Nast will make or break a person, which I thought was ridiculous. Rose was wearing her knee high black boots, with black tight pants and a red turtleneck sweater with her long black coat and Alice was wearing grey pants with an ivory blouse and wool grey coat and her black Manolo Blahniks. They both looked like they stepped right off the pages of a magazine.

Once we were outside, we hailed a cab and were on our way. It was only a short ride since the Conde Nast building is right in Times Square. We got out and they lead me into the building. It was huge compared to the building I used to work in. There were so many people in the lobby moving in and out.

There were turnstiles that had security clearance and since I was new and didn't have my badge yet, I couldn't pass through. Alice brought me to the lobby reception desk and left with Rose to go to their offices. I promised that I would meet them later for lunch at noon.

The lady behind the desk greeted me and told me that someone would come down to meet me to set me up with security clearance and take me to the 20th Floor which was for the _New Yorker_. Each magazine had its own floor. Rose was on the 25th Floor for _GQ_ and Alice was on the 30th Floor for _Vogue_.

I saw a mid-30's short Asian man with black hair and brown eyes wearing black-rimmed glasses prancing toward me. He was wearing a black suit, black dress shirt and purple and pink tie.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" he said. His flamboyance gave him away. My gaydar wasn't always accurate but with him I could tell. I nodded back at him.

"Just call me Bella."

"Hi, I'm Lewis, your assistant." He smiled and gave me a hug. He was so cute! "I'll take you up to HR and get you settled," as he motioned for me to follow him.

When we were waiting for the elevator, he looked down at my shoes and squealed, "OH MY GOD!! What cute shoes! Those are from this Fall's Jimmy Choo Line! And your Chanel purse is just amazing! Did you know its limited edition?!" while ogling my purse.

I had no idea what he was talking about. It was like alien language. I just bought these things because Alice told me that it would look nice.

I just smiled back and said, "Thanks! And I had no idea it was limited edition, my best friend told me to get it so I just listened to her."

"Well, I can't wait to meet your best friend!" he squealed and pulled me into the elevator. It was packed with people and I could tell that everyone in there was looking me up and down. Men and women. The women I was sure was because they were trying to see what I was wearing and from their looks I could tell they approved. The men, I wasn't so sure if they were gay and just fawning over my clothes like Lewis just did or if they were really checking me out.

As we got off onto the 10th floor for Human Resources, Lewis grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the reception desk. "Oh my God, they were soooo checking you out in there!" he said.

"Huh? What? Who?" I said curiously.

"H-E-L-L-O Bella! The guys back in the elevator. You know that not all guys who work here are gay right?!" he teased.

I laughed and then I was called in to meet with HR. I had to fill out paperwork and sign a few forms. They also gave me a new Blackberry Curve 8900 as well as a company credit card and took some photos of me for my ID and sent me off with Lewis again.

He pulled me into the elevator and immediately started programming my blackberry. He was so nice and I knew then that Lewis was going to be a great friend. He would get along with Alice so well.

We stopped at the 20th floor and the doors opened to a reception desk that was sitting in front of a glass wall. There were two sets of double glass doors on both sides of the desk. The words _New Yorker_ was behind the desk along the white wall behind the glass doors. I was so excited I almost started doing a victory dance right there.

Lewis brought me up to the reception desk and introduced me to the receptionist for the floor. He then pulled me through a set of double glass doors and led me to the left hallway. We walked down a long hallway together as he pointed out the break room and restrooms as we passed by. We walked by tons of cubicles and offices and everyone was staring probably wondering who the new girl was. He then stopped right in front of a light wood door that had a tag with my name on the outside of it. I almost jumped up and down.

"And this is your office," he smiled as he opened the door. It was a decent size and getting my own private office was great!

It was a square room with a light wood colored desk that had a Mac desktop with a huge 22" inch screen sitting on top of it as well as a modern phone that was next to the computer. The wall next to the door was glass with blinds that I could use for privacy and was facing Lewis's desk, which was right outside my room. The back wall behind the desk had shelves and file cabinets. There were two black arm chairs right in front of my desk and the wall behind the arm chairs had various framed front covers of the _New Yorker_. My office also had one entire wall as a window that looked out onto Times Square below.

"Lewis this is amazing! I'm speechless! I'm just so excited!" I said practically jumping up and down.

"You're so cute! I'm glad that you like it, now let's go take you to meet with Vincent, he's been waiting for you!" he said as he grabbed my hand again and led me to the office next door. Vincent was my new boss, the Literature Arts Editor. I was only the Associate Editor. I met him during my interview and clicked with him immediately. I knew that we would work great together.

Lewis knocked on his door and led me into a bigger corner office. It had a couch and a small conference table with four chairs. I saw Vincent sitting at his desk typing on his computer as he motioned for us to come in. He was tall, early-30's, very good-looking with blonde hair and brown eyes. I thought he was gay but I wasn't for sure. He seemed more metro than gay. So the jury was still out on this one. He did dress very well. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a light blue tie and white dress shirt.

"Bella!" he said with a smile and motioned for me to sit in one of the two black arm chairs in front of his desk. "I'm so glad that you started today! How was your move? Are you enjoying New York? Did Lewis show you around?"

"Yes, he's been great!" smiling at Lewis who stood by the door ready to leave as I mouthed "Bye!" to him and waved. "I love it here! And the move wasn't too bad."

"Good, well, I'm glad that you're here, we have a few projects that I'd like you to get started on. I know it's your first day and you should get settled first. Lewis will help you with whatever you may need. He's one of the best assistants here. Come back in here in an hour and we'll talk more about your upcoming projects." I nodded in agreement and walked out of the office.

I went back to my office and started settling in, getting my supplies and desk ready. I got a call from Alice and Rose who were both checking in on me. They already found me in the company directory. It seemed that Lewis already set everything up. I didn't have to worry about a thing.

I met with Vincent again and got my assignments for the week. I was thrilled! I thrive off work and especially writing and editing since it's what I live for!

It was noon already and I was finally able to convince Lewis to come eat lunch with us. He said he felt awkward because I was someone he reported to and wasn't sure it was okay but I tossed that all aside. I don't care about hierarchy.

We took the elevator down to the 5th floor to meet Alice and Rose at some place called California Grill. When we stepped off the elevator I had no idea that it would be several restaurants on one floor. It was huge and it was busy. Luckily, Alice made reservations so Lewis and I took our table.

A few minutes later, Rose and Alice walked in and I introduced them to Lewis. It turned out that Rose already knew Lewis since he used to work at _GQ_. He made a face about that so I could tell he wasn't happy there.

We ordered our food and started chatting away when I looked up toward the front of the restaurant and froze in place. I could not believe who just walked into the restaurant. Jessica Stanley, the head cheerleader from high school, who my high school boyfriend cheated with, was standing ten feet away from me. I didn't know if I should hide or beat the shit out of her.

Alice saw me getting uncomfortable and nervous and looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"It's because she's here," Rose said with her teeth clenched and pointed toward Jessica. I could tell Lewis looked uncomfortable as well.

"Oh no, not her, she's such a bitch!" he said. "That was the reason why I left _GQ_, she is a backstabbing slut!" He whispered to me.

"You didn't tell me that she works here!" I said as I raised my voice to Rose and Alice.

It turned out that Jessica saw us and came over to our table. She was shocked to see me.

"Well, well, who do we have here? Bella Swan, isn't it? It's been a long time. Do you work here?" she said like she was disgusted that someone would hire me.

"Yes, she just started today. She's the new Associate Literature Arts Editor for the New Yorker," Lewis said back to her trying to defend me.

"I wasn't talking to you, Lewis!" She rolled her eyes at him and glared back at me.

"I'm surprised that you work here." She sneered. Rose and Alice both glared at her.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around. Bye, girls!" She said in a fake cheery voice as she walked away.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me that she works here." I said glaring at Rose and Alice, who shifted uncomfortably in their seats, "What does she do here and what did she do to you?" I asked Lewis.

"We both started as assistants at _GQ_. All assistants should help each other out but she was never like that. She threw me under the bus and blamed me for things that were her responsibility. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and moved to the _New Yorker_. She is now working in Sales for _GQ_. She practically slept her way up the ladder though. She's so disgusting and I can't stand her!"

He then looked at the three of us and said, "Okay Girls, that's my story but you're leaving out your story here, what did she do to you?"

We went on throughout lunch telling Lewis the stories about Jessica from high school and how she was always mean to everyone and slept with half of the student body. I also told him about her sleeping with my high school boyfriend. He gasped and said, "That bitch!"

Lunch flew by and we were back in the office again. It turned out that Alice and Lewis got along so well that they made shopping plans together later in the week. They both practically forced me into going so I couldn't decline. Lewis was shocked to find out that I wasn't a big fan of shopping and he vowed to change that.

Rose, Alice and I got home around 6pm that night and I realized that I only had an hour with Max and Maggie before giving them to Edward. This wasn't going to work now with my new work schedule. I would have to talk to him about it again. Just then I heard …

_Is it any wonder I'm tired?_

_Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?_

_Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?_

_Sometimes_

_It's hard to know where I stand_

_It's hard to know where I am_

_(Is It Any Wonder? – Keane)_

I grabbed my cell phone in my purse and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, I have to work late a few nights this week, is it okay if you take Max and Mags until Thursday and I'll get them Thursday night to Sunday?" Edward said.

"Sure, that works for me," I said.

"Thanks!" he said and we hung up.

This worked out better. I wasn't sure if he was still mad at me about the Starbucks ordeal and didn't want to face him.

_Did I feel guilty for making him mad?_

Something was definitely going on with me and I couldn't figure out what it was…

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked Lewis and Vincent! I really like Lewis!  
**

**Also, I don't work at Conde Nast. Nor do I know anyone that works there. I'm just making all this up for the story so I apologize now if I've painted a crazy picture of it but it's just a fictional story. None of this in my story is true.  
**

**Also, I don't live in NY. I've only been there a couple of times but most of the places that I've included in this story are made up names and places. And if I get a location wrong, I apologize in advance. **

**Please review! **


	11. Jealous Much?

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and alerts! I'm glad that you are liking this story. Now on with some new developments in all things E&B. **

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 11 – Jealous Much?**

EPOV

I was working late nights this week until Thursday. I haven't seen Max or Maggie since Monday morning. I was really starting to miss spending time with Max but now Maggie was growing on me as well. They were both such great dogs.

I remember seeing Bella on her first day of work and she took my breath away when she opened her door. She looked amazing in her work clothes. She was completely clueless about how men would stare and gawk at her and she had no idea of her affect on me. I was mad about what happened at Starbucks but I was more upset at the fact that she said we weren't friends.

I thought the breakfast at Estelle's was our starting point to attempting at being friends. We were getting along so well and I felt so comfortable around her. I felt like I could tell her anything. She seemed to be enjoying herself as well because we've never talked for that long to each other and without fighting. It was great to hear her laugh and see her smile rather than seeing her upset and pissed off at me.

I was confused. I didn't know why I was trying so hard to be friends with her. I knew she hated me but why try so hard to get her to be friends with me? What did I have to prove? I don't care what other people think. I never did. But there was a something nagging at me that felt like I do care what _she_ thinks.

_Why? What the hell is wrong with me?_

It was Wednesday and I had a client lunch over at a restaurant near Times Square. I walked in looking for my client and scanned the restaurant to see if they already arrived. I turned my head and saw Bella sitting at one side of the restaurant. She looked beautiful with her hair swept up. I could see that she wasn't alone. She was there with a guy. They were talking and I could see her laughing. The guy she was with was a little older than me. I could tell that he was tall with blond hair and brown eyes.

_Were they on a lunch date? Does she like him? _

My thoughts were going wild. All of sudden, I started feeling anxious and my mood soured. It was odd feeling this way. I had no idea why. It's not like I was jealous or anything.

My body started walking toward her table while my mind was trying to stop myself. What was I doing? I don't want to interrupt their date but there was something that was nagging at me that I had to know who he was.

Bella still didn't see me and I was a few feet from her table now. I tried to keep moving but I was stopped by another woman that stepped in front of me.

"Eddie!" she screamed and threw her arms around me into a hug. I cringed at her high pitched voice and the fact that she called me Eddie. I hated that nickname. Then I realized I had no idea who it was.

I looked down and realized, OH SHIT! It was Jessica Stanley from high school. This was not good. She was last person I would expect to see.

"Oh my gosh, you don't remember me, do you? It's me, Jessica Stanley from high school!" she squealed even louder. I could see that people were staring at us now and I could only pray that Bella was not looking.

"Oh yeah, hey, Jessica, it's been a long time," I said with my teeth clenched hoping she would get the clue that I was not interested.

"It has been a long time, and you haven't changed at all."

_Oh, God, if she only knew_

"What are you doing now? What are you doing here in New York?" she asked.

I was so caught up thinking about Bella that I couldn't hear her questions. "Uh…" was all I could say.

"Well, let's get dinner sometime. Here is my business card, give me a call. We can reminiscence about old times! Or I can help you remember right now." She stepped closer to me and before I could push her away she pulled my head down and kissed me.

She was the last person that I would want to kiss me! I prayed again that Bella did not see what just happened because that would start another argument.

As Jessica finally left and got out of my way, I looked at Bella's table and it was now empty. I looked toward the front door and I saw the guy holding Bella's hand, leading her away.

_Damn it! Damn, Jessica!_

And then I felt anxious again.

_Why?_

**

* * *

**

BPOV

I was eating lunch with Vincent at an outside restaurant near our office in Times Square. We were having a working lunch to talk about my status on some of the projects. He was asking me if I was enjoying the job and the company. I still wasn't sure if he was gay or straight and I couldn't come out and ask him. He didn't seem feminine but he did dress a lot better than me. When I was around him, I never felt uncomfortable but I could tell that there was something he wasn't telling me.

We were chatting away and we were almost finished with our lunch. I turned to look toward the front door and saw Edward enter the restaurant. I immediately looked back at Vincent so that Edward wouldn't see me.

_What was he doing here?! Does he even work near here?_

I hope he doesn't see me. I don't want us to have an argument in front of my boss. Even though we were somewhat getting along now I just knew that any time we were together something bad always happens. That would just be embarrassing. Vincent would probably fire me after witnessing my rage and temper.

I saw that Vincent noticed my reaction and looked in the same direction.

"Who is that? Do you know him?"

I gritted my teeth and told him. "Yes, we grew up together but we don't get along very well."

Vincent started laughing. "I find that hard to believe, Bella. And the fact that he looks like that and that you two don't get along makes it even harder to believe."

Did he just check Edward out? I pushed the thought back. "You don't know him and I bet if you met him you would think the same."

"Well, it looks like I'm going to get my chance soon because he's on his way over here," he said smiling at me.

"Oh no, no, no…" I said getting flustered. "I can't put up my hands and shield my face since he already saw us, quick think of something! Keep talking to me, we have to look busy and hope that he doesn't come over, I don't want him to know that I saw him."

Vincent started laughing. "Wow, you really don't like him, do you?"

"No, I don't and the second he gets over here we'll be arguing or something bad will happen and you're going to think I'm some sort of crazy person!" I hissed back at Vincent. He found it amusing and just kept laughing.

Right then, I saw Jessica Stanley appear out of thin air and stop Edward. Ugh, Jessica! I hated her and just seeing them together made me want to barf. She was trying to flirt with him from what I could see but I was too busy trying to think of an escape.

"Vincent, let's go!" I whispered to him while I saw Edward and Jessica talking.

As we paid the bill and got up to leave, I turned my head around and saw them kissing!

Are you freaking serious?! In front of the entire restaurant?! I was standing there staring at them in shock. I could feel my blood boil. Vincent came up to my side and quickly grabbed my hand to pull me out of the restaurant.

As we started walking back to the office, my mind was rambling like crazy. I couldn't think straight.

_Why would he be kissing her?! Her, of all the women in the world! Why HER?!_

I was so mad about what happened but would I have been just as mad if it was someone else? Maybe it was because it was Jessica and I hated her.

_Wait, hold up! I wasn't jealous, was I? NO!_

Vincent finally spoke and said, "Bella, it's going to take a lot more convincing me that you are enemies with your reaction to what just happened in the restaurant."

"I…uh…" I said.

"Don't worry, we have all afternoon for you to tell me the whole story and I want to make sure Lewis hears this too, let's get back to the office."

As we got back into Vincent's office, he motioned to me to sit on his couch. He sat at his desk chair. Lewis came prancing in closing the door behind him and sat in one of the black arm chairs. They both stared at me waiting for me to start.

Lewis looked at me curiously. "WELL! Go on! I want to know what happened at lunch, you look like you saw a ghost!"

There was something about Lewis and Vincent that made me feel so comfortable talking to them. Maybe even more than Alice and Rose. It was probably because all of my recent problems have been about Edward. Lately, I've felt that I couldn't open up to Alice and Rose since they were now closer friends to Edward. I needed an unbiased opinion from people who were not involved and did not know him. I sighed heavily and let the fact that I was talking to my boss and my assistant go out the window and just started talking to them like they were close friends.

I vented everything out. I told them the history of what happened to us while growing up. I went on about how we hated each other and all the things that happened since I moved. I told them about Max and Maggie. I kept rambling on and on that eventually I was lying down on the couch now like I was talking to my two shrinks.

They both listened intently and when I was done I looked at them. They both looked like they were in awe, shock and happy.

_Why were they happy?_

I sat up on the couch and said, "What?!"

Both of them started laughing at me.

"I'm no longer sharing personal information with you if that's the reaction I'm going to get from you two!" I said and glared at them.

"No, Bella! We're just laughing because you're so blind! I mean, from what you're telling us, it seems like you're jealous from what happened in the restaurant," Lewis said.

I put my hands on my hips now and stood up. "I am NOT jealous!"

"Oh, you should've seen her reaction Lewis. She was definitely jealous and shocked beyond belief!" Vincent said while laughing.

"I was NOT!" I said throwing a tantrum.

"From what you're telling us, Bella, it sounds like you really like him but you're not realizing it," Vincent said. "Hell, I would too. He's very good looking Bella!"

I stood there staring at him in disbelief.

_Did he just say what I thought he said? Was this his secret that he was keeping from me?_

I could tell he was surprised by my reaction. "Bella, did you not know I was gay?" he said.

"Well, I didn't want to assume and I wasn't for sure but when I saw you look at Edward today, I was almost positive," I said laughing.

"Wow, now I really have to see him with all this hype. Bella, you have to let me meet him sometime," Lewis said pleading.

"NO! You two are not meeting him because nothing is happening. There is nothing going on! We were born to hate each other! And Edward loves being around women! Vincent, did you not see what happened? They were kissing!"

"Correction, she was kissing him. I saw her throw herself at him," Vincent said confidently.

"That slut!" Lewis said in disgust.

"I don't know…from where I was standing it looked like he was kissing her back," I said with uncertainty. I wasn't for sure of it but again, I was jumping to conclusions.

"You've just deluded yourself into thinking that he did, but trust me, he wasn't kissing her back," Vincent said.

"Either way, I'm still mad, I hate Jessica! And now he has to go frolicking around with her! Just seeing them makes me want to throw up!" I said.

"Geez, Bella, jealous much?" Lewis said again while looking at Vincent. They both burst into laughs.

"First of all, this is not funny and for the last time, I am NOT jealous! It's been hard for me having to see him because of our two dogs! If there was anything going on with Edward and Jessica, I won't be able to handle it. I'll snap! I'm barely on edge right now because of having to deal with Edward!" I said nervously.

_Why was I so stressed out? I know that I've been on edge since I've had to see him again, but why?_

"Are you always this stubborn and delusional?" Lewis asked through laughs.

_Ha ha, very funny, Lewis! _

But he was right. He saw right through me.

"No," I said weakly, they were laughing even more now because they knew they were right.

"Okay fine, yes. I always jump to conclusions and I'm extremely stubborn." I admitted.

"Bella, I think you should give Edward a chance. You might find something there that no one else can see. Maybe you should try being friends with him first and see where it goes," Vincent said trying to convince me.

_Oh no, Not you too!_

"Why can't you be friends with him, Bella? There is nothing wrong with being friends," Lewis said trying to convince me as well.

_Why is everyone saying that?!_

"No, I can't be friends with him! I just can't!" I don't know why I kept thinking this but it was probably my stubborn side that wasn't willing to give in.

"And don't underestimate Edward! There are reasons why I don't like him. I know you think there is something there but there isn't!" I said firmly.

I could tell they heard the seriousness in my voice and didn't question me any further. It was nice to talk freely with Lewis and Vincent but I didn't like the teasing. Now I felt like I was talking to Rose and Alice again. I was sure that Lewis would be filling Alice in on what happened.

On my way home I started thinking about what happened at lunch. I was not jealous! I don't know why everyone was thinking that. It's only Edward! I had to remind myself again that there was nothing there. We got along at Estelle's for a brief moment but that was it.

The restaurant exchange with Jessica and Edward still made my blood boil. Vincent was for sure that she threw herself at Edward but what if he was kissing her back? I didn't have enough time to see his reaction but I was sure he enjoyed it. This is Edward Cullen, the Playboy of the Century.

Why was this even bothering me? I've seen him kiss tons of girls before. I'm sure it had to be because of Jessica, since I hated her!

What if they started dating again? Oh dear god, that would be high school all over again. I don't think I would be able to stand it especially having to deal with them and Max and Maggie.

I was starting to feel stressed out again. I knew that I was mad. I didn't know if I was mad at Jessica or at Edward or myself. But one thing was for sure, Edward Cullen is driving me crazy!!

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**A/N: Anyone surprised that Vincent is gay? **

**Well, I'm hoping that this shows more about the internal struggles that E&B are going through ... hopefully? And I'm trying to tone down Bella's hatred and coldness to Edward more. I hope it's working ... I'm trying to not make her hate him as much but slowly and hopefully you can see that she's starting to warm up to him.**

**The next chapter is about George!!! I love George! And I can't wait for you to read it. Lots of surprises coming up! =) **

**Please review!  
**


	12. George!

**A/N: Alright so here is the chapter that explains the mystery of George. I hope you like it!! Some of you have speculations that are spot on so read below!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me. **

**Chapter 12 – George!**

EPOV

It was Thursday and I was going to pick up Max and Maggie at 7pm. I got home from work early and lounged around listening to music until it was time to get them.

It was around 7pm now as I opened my door to go down the hall. I saw a tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed man standing at Alice and Bella's door. He had two suitcases with him.

_Who could that be?_

I saw their door fling open and Bella jumped into his arms screaming. "GEORGE!" while kissing him on the cheek and throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you so much!!!"

"Hey, Bells! I missed you too!" he said hugging her back.

So this was George…who were all the other guys then?! What the hell is going on?! I started feeling anxious again and I knew I was not in a good mood.

"Come in, come in! Maggie's here!" she said.

My ears perked up. I knew that Maggie wasn't particularly nice to any males that would come around Bella and Max had a bad reaction around Chris so I was definitely anticipating Max and Maggie to attack. I was standing there counting down waiting to hear screaming but nothing came. That's odd.

I walked closer to Bella's door hoping to hear the growling and barking.

Any minute now…but still there was nothing.

I finally walked to the open door and saw that Maggie and Max were playing and jumping around George.

_What is going on?!_

Right then, Bella looked up and saw me. She held up her hand signaling me to wait just a minute. She was talking to George and he turned and looked at me. I could see him smiling and whispering to Bella. I wonder what that was all about.

"George, this is Edward Cullen. He lives next door and is Max's owner," she said while pointing from George to me. "Edward, this is George." I gave George a slight nod.

_Was he her boyfriend? She didn't introduce him as that. Who was he?_

She grabbed onto Max and Maggie's leashes and handed them over to me while she hugged them bye.

"See you Sunday," she said and closed the door. I still stood there dumbfounded. Max and Maggie looked up at me with curiosity wondering why I wasn't' moving.

_What was wrong with Max and Maggie? Why was there no dog attack? Who is George?!_

**

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**BPOV

I was so glad that George was coming today. He was going to stay with us for a week. I was missing him so much. I heard the door bell ring and ran to grab the door. I saw my George standing in the hallway. He was extremely good-looking. People always thought we were couple but we were best friends and roommates. He moved in with me when Rose and Alice left. He was my rock when I had no one else. He was also worked with me at the _San Francisco Chronicle_ and always encouraged me to write.

I was ecstatic to see him and jumped up into his arms screaming. "GEORGE!" while kissing his cheek and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I missed you so much!"

"Hey, Bells! I missed you too!" he said hugging me back. I went to grab his suitcases but he was faster.

I motioned for him to come inside. "Come in, come in. Maggie misses you!"

He walked inside the apartment and gasped. "Bells, this place is amazing!"

"I know, isn't it?! I can't wait for you to meet Alice and Rose!"

"Hey Mags!" he said as Maggie happily ran up to him jumping up and down. I could see that she missed him. I was a little anxious that Max would attack him. I watched as he eyed Maggie's reaction to George and could see him relaxing. After a few seconds, he started jumping up and down playing with George as well.

Right then, I turned to look toward the door and saw Edward standing there staring at us or more like glaring at George. I wonder what his problem is. He was probably jealous that there was someone out there who was better looking than him. Ha! I held up my hand to signal to him to hold on a second.

George saw him and whispered to me. "Who's that? Let me guess … Edward, right?"

"Yeah, that's him, let me introduce you." I sighed. George smiled at me.

I told George all about Edward back when we were in San Francisco so he always knew of the guy that I hated. I also updated him on our phone conversations and what happened since the move. George was always curious as to what Edward looked like. He had always wanted to meet him but like I told Lewis and Vincent that would never happen. I was adamant about that with George. However, when George told me he was coming to visit, I knew it was inevitable that they would have to meet.

I looked between George and Edward and said, "George, this is Edward Cullen, he lives next door and is Max's owner," while pointing from George to Edward. "Edward, this is George."

I grabbed the leashes and gave Max and Maggie a hug before saying goodbye. I wouldn't be able to see them until Sunday. I reminded myself that we would have to figure out something else because this was a lot harder than when we had the daily schedule. Now I was only seeing Maggie four days out of the week.

"See you Sunday," I said to Edward and closed the door. He was still standing there in the doorway.

_He's acting weird._

"Wow, so the whole custody arrangement is still in effect, huh? I think you're going to have to figure out what to do for a permanent situation. What happens if you move or he moves? What then?" George asked me.

"I have no idea," I said. I didn't even think that was going to happen. I just moved here and it didn't seem like Edward was moving anytime soon. I pushed my thoughts away and went back to catching up with George.

The rest of the week flew by and the weekend finally came. I was able to go with George and do some sightseeing. We went to the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Building, and the Empire State Building.

Alice and Rose finally got to meet George after four years. They had all heard so much about each other that they felt like they already knew each other. Even Emmett and Jasper enjoyed his company. Edward didn't come out to any of the outings though. He was acting strange and distant again.

Sunday came and it was 7pm. It was time for me to get Max and Maggie again for the week. I was lounging around for the day and was wearing green pajama shorts and a yellow tank top. I heard someone knock on our door and I got up from my bed. I saw that George was sitting on the couch in the living room in his pajama pants and t-shirt and got up first to grab the door. I went around behind George and saw Edward's face. He looked shocked. And then his eyes locked on mine and he looked like he was…in pain? I couldn't describe it. I've never seen him look like that before.

"Edward, nice to see you!" George said, reaching out to give him a hand shake.

Edward looked down at his hand reluctant to shake it, what the hell is wrong with him? He was being so cold. He finally shook it and said gritting his teeth, "George."

I went closer to the door and stood right next to George as he put his hand around my shoulder and I slid my arm around his waist. I saw Edward move his eyes between me and George and he looked away. He handed back Max and Maggie. Then he turned and walked back to his place mumbling. "I'll pick them up again on Thursday," and with that he slammed his door.

"What was that all about?" George asked me while closing our door.

"I have no idea, probably one of his mood swings," I said and shrugged.

**

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**EPOV

I had no idea why I was so mean to George. He seemed like a nice guy but when I saw them both in the doorway with their pajamas and their arms wrapped around each other, I thought I interrupted something private.

I slammed our door shut and went over to our couch to join Emmett and Rose who were both watching TV.

"What was that about?" Rose asked as she eyed the door and back at me.

"Uh…nothing," I said back.

"What did Bells do this time to make you so pissed off, bro?" Emmett asked.

"I said it was nothing. I'm fine, let's just watch TV." I said back while clenching my teeth.

"Okay, fine, sheesh! Someone's got something stuck up his ass!" Emmett said while Rose laughed and I glared at him.

After a moment of silence and watching TV, I realized I couldn't concentrate. I had to know who George was. This was probably a good time to ask Rose and Emmett since they already met him.

_How do I bring this up casually without making it seem like I had to know?_

"So, George seems like a nice guy for Bella right?" I said nonchalantly trying to make it sound like I didn't care.

Rose sat up and looked at me. I could tell she was thinking something before speaking. "Yeah, he's a nice guy and very good-looking. Why do you want to know?" she asked questioning me.

Emmett looked at me curiously raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, bro… since when do you care about Bella?" and right before I could respond, Emmett started laughing loudly. "Oh my God! I can't believe we didn't see it sooner! This is freaking hilarious!" He said in between his booming loud laughs.

Rose asked him, "See what?" I saw him whisper something in her ear and her eyes widened and she whispered something back.

"I'm right here! Can you stop with the whispering?!" I said sounding irritated.

"Are you jealous that there is someone out there better-looking than you?" Rose said with a smirk.

_That's ridiculous!_

I rolled my eyes and before I could answer, Emmett said, "Dude, Bro! You're jealous!"

He paused. "And of George!!" And they both started laughing. They were practically rolling on the floor.

_Was I missing some sort of inside joke?_

"No, I am not! I am not jealous of George! That's ridiculous! You know how Bella and I don't get along!" I spat back.

"Eddie's got the hots for Bella!" Emmett teased through his laughs.

"No, I don't!" I said back.

_What is with them?!_

They were both laughing so hard now that tears were coming down their faces and there was no point for me to talk to them. They weren't listening to me. I got up and went to my room and slammed the door.

The next day I went to work and stopped off at a local bar on the way home to meet up with Emmett and Jasper. Rose and Alice were also sitting at our table when I walked in. I sat down at our table and ordered a Guinness.

As we were chatting, I turned my head to the front door and saw Bella come in. She looked… stunning. She was wearing an ivory wool coat with navy blue slacks that framed her figure well. Her hair fell in light curls that beautifully framed her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the cold weather outside. I could see her big chocolate brown eyes scanning the room. I thought she was joining us and almost stood up to signal her but instead she kept walking toward the back of the bar.

I saw her walk up to the same man that she was with at the restaurant for lunch the other day. He stood up when she approached the table and she quickly gave him a peck on the cheek. That's odd. The whole exchange seemed a little more than friendly to me. I thought George was still in town.

_What was she doing?_

She didn't see us and none of our friends saw her. I kept watching them and saw that they were chatting happily and she was laughing. I completely zoned out of what everyone else was talking about and decided to excuse myself to go to the restroom. I saw that she was headed there as well. I "accidentally" bumped into her before we got there and I could see that she was surprised to see me. Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm here with Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice. We're sitting over there," I pointed in the direction of where we were sitting. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…I'm just here with someone having drinks after work." She said obviously trying to hide something.

I knew what it was. She was definitely playing games. I finally caught her in her own game and now I could say something to her about it just like she always did to me.

"You know, you really are a hypocrite for always saying things about me and my past lifestyle when I know you are doing the same thing." I spat at her.

"WHAT?! What are you talking about?!" she said back raising her voice.

I could tell that people were staring now and I'm sure our friends saw us as well.

"Oh, I know exactly what you're doing. I've seen all the guys that you've been out with not to mention the one that is staying with you at your apartment this week and now this!" I shouted back at her while pointing at the guy that she came in with.

"WHAT?! My life is none of your business," she yelled.

"Oh and like mine is?! You are always giving me shit about my life and look, now, you're doing the same thing!" I yelled back.

"Don't you DARE compare me to you! And I saw you and Jessica kissing that day at lunch! How dare you say that I am like you?! I will never be like you!" She screamed. "You have no right to accuse me of anything!"

"Oh and like you have a right to accuse me of things?!" I yelled back at her.

I noticed now that we were both so close to each other. Our faces were practically inches away and I could feel the heat radiating from our bodies. I could smell the scent from her hair. Was it lavender and vanilla?

_Stop that! Focus!_

The entire bar was silent now and all I could hear was the jazz music playing through the speakers. Then I saw George standing next to us.

_WHAT? When did he come in? What was he doing here?_

"Uh…is everything okay? Bells?" he asked her looking at the both us like we were insane.

"Everything is fine." She seethed and stepped back. "This conversation is over!"

She grabbed George's hand and led him back to her table with the blond guy.

_What was going on? I was so sure that I knew what she was doing. Did I get it all wrong?_

I went back to our table and saw Emmett and Jasper laughing. Alice and Rose were shooting daggers at me.

"What?!" I said back to them annoyed.

"I can't believe that you just did that!" Alice said while slapping me on the arm.

"Ow! What? Was I wrong?! She's always giving me shit about my past lifestyle, it's about time that I said something back and caught her in the act!" I said back defensively.

"You're such an idiot!" Rose yelled.

Emmett and Jasper kept laughing with the tears rolling down their cheeks. I glared at them and said, "What is with you two?! What is so damn funny?!"

"Because…haha…you…are…so…jealous! And because of them!" he said pointing at George and the blond guy.

"I am NOT jealous!" I yelled back. Alice and Rose rolled their eyes at me.

"You are so stupid! You are as blind as a bat!" Alice screeched.

"What?! Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on because I don't understand why those two are laughing their asses off and what is so wrong with what I did?" I said back.

"For starters, idiot, George thinks you're hotter than Bella!" Rose said. Emmett was howling with laughter now.

Then it hit me. Oh Shit! I had it all wrong. George was gay!

"What?! George is gay?!" I said back to them.

"No Shit Sherlock! George is Bella's roommate from San Francisco. He's a past colleague of hers and he is her best friend. Gay. Best. Friend." Alice said slowly letting the words sink into my brain. I think my mouth dropped open in shock at this point.

I royally screwed up big time. "Then who is the blond with them?" I asked dreading to hear the answer.

"That is her boss. She was going to set him up with George!" Rose spat. I cringed at what she said.

_Her boss?! And he was being setup with George?!_

I was in deep shit this time.

"That was the best thing I ever saw! You really fucked up big time! Bells is going to kill you!" Emmett said while laughing again.

Not only did I embarrass her in front of everyone at the bar but in front of her best friends and boss. Emmett was right, she was definitely going to kill me.

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**A/N: I hope you liked it! Don't throw tomatoes if you're angry that George is gay. At least Edward is still jealous, right?! **

**Don't worry though, the next chapter is more progress in all things E&B. Don't get mad at me yet since I promise you that you will be surprised at Bella's reaction to all of this.**

**Please review!**


	13. Moving

**A/N: I'm glad that no tomatoes were thrown about George. I had a feeling you knew it was coming. At least it was nice to see a jealous Edward! Now, on with the story ... one of you guessed what was going to happen and here it is ... and I hope you like more of the E&B interaction ... I promise the fighting will stop from now on!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 13 – Moving**

EPOV

I knew that I screwed up big time. I knew I had to find some way to apologize. This was definitely my mistake. I admit that. But at least I hoped that she got a little taste of her own medicine even though I was wrong.

Bella avoided my calls and I was scared to talk to her in person. I knew there would be yelling and screaming.

It was Thursday and I was supposed to pick up Max and Maggie. I was hoping I could get my chance to finally apologize. I knocked on the door and George came to open it.

"Hi George, I'm here to get Max and Mags." I said nicely this time. I was always rude to him and I felt bad.

"Oh yeah, let me get them. Bells is…busy at the moment," he said and I could tell it was because she didn't want to see me or talk to me.

He came back and handed me the leashes but stepped out in the hallway with me and closed the door behind him. Max and Maggie stood there looking up at me and George.

"I have to talk to you quickly or she'll kill me knowing that I came out here to talk to you. You've seen how mad she gets. Anyways, I know that you screwed up at the bar but don't let that stop you from talking to her. She's as stubborn as a mule. I can tell that you both have chemistry. Just keep fighting. She'll break down her walls and warm up to you," he whispered.

"Uh, what?! I don't have feelings for her. She annoys me just as much as I annoy her, we're not even friends," I said.

"Do you want to be friends with her?" he asked me.

"Um …" I thought about this before answering him. I've been thinking about this for awhile now. I knew my answer so I replied truthfully.

"Yeah, if she will let me."

But did I want something more? I could feel a tug in my heart at that thought and pushed it away.

"You are both two of the most stubborn people I have ever met! I have no doubt that you two will be friends and maybe something even more. Don't argue with me, there's no time," he said quickly as I heard Bella call out "George!" coming from inside the apartment.

"I have to go, she's going to be pissed. Just be patient with her! She's gone through a lot with guys. It was nice meeting you Edward. I know you're a good guy for her," he said as he opened the door and yelled inside. "Coming Bells!"

I was going to ask him more questions but he crept back inside and closed the door. Max and Maggie were both bobbing their heads between us as we talked and then looked up at me with confusion across their faces.

_Was I hearing things right?! _

I shook my head and headed back to my apartment with both dogs following behind me.

What did he mean by she has gone through a lot with guys? I knew that her high school boyfriend cheated on her but what else happened? I tried to think back to that day in high school when I saw her crying. I felt so bad for her and wanted to comfort her but she didn't give me the chance to say anything. She assumed that I felt the same as Jessica. When in fact, Bella was the one that revealed to me that Jessica had cheated on me with her boyfriend. I would've never known.

I have never cheated on a girl. Sure, I played the field, dated around, but none of them I was committed to and most of the woman had asked me out. I never initiated anything.

Then I remembered what she said to me that day. _"You're just like him!" _I buried that away for so long because I didn't believe it was true but Bella thought it was true. That was why she hated me. She thinks I'm like all those other jerks that broke her heart. That was why she couldn't even stand being friends with me because I constantly reminded her of her pain. I couldn't have her believe that any longer. I was different and I knew that I had to prove that to her as a friend.

_But how?! _

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**

BPOV

I was still pissed off at Edward for what he did at the bar that day. It was so embarrassing! I apologized to Vincent profusely about the incident. I was hoping that he wouldn't fire me thinking I was crazy.

It was Friday and George left this morning to go back to San Francisco. Vincent and him got along and I only hoped that maybe they would become a couple. I knew that George has been single for awhile now and Vincent would be such a great partner for him.

I wore a cable knit grey sweater dress with my black tights and knee high black boots to work today. I walked into my office and saw Lewis standing at my door.

"Good Morning, Lewis," I said to him.

"Good Morning, Bells!" he said cheerfully as he handed me my morning coffee. "So, did he apologize yet?" Lewis asked as I went into my office and put down my coat and purse.

"No, we haven't spoken or seen each other since that night. I've been ignoring his phone calls and avoiding him at the apartment, and why are you asking me this again? You have been bugging me about this all week and it will still be the same answer!" I said.

"Come on Bells! You are so stubborn! You have to let him apologize. He was right about what he said about you." Lewis said whining.

I knew that was true. I was just too stubborn to admit it.

Just then Vincent poked his head through the door. "So no apology yet I assume," he said while looking at Lewis and then to me.

"No. Because Bella won't let him." Lewis replied back while folding his arms across his chest.

"It's not that, I just don't want to talk to him. It was embarrassing." I fumed.

More like I didn't want to talk to him because I knew I was wrong and I knew I had to be the one to apologize. I was just fighting with myself about it all week and didn't know how to approach it.

"Bells, you've apologized enough about what happened. Get over it! I was actually glad to finally witness an Edward vs. Bella argument but you don't have to be embarrassed. It's really no big deal. And I'm not going to think you're crazy," Vincent said back and smiled. "Although I must say, you two do have quite the chemistry."

I just put my head in my hands and groaned. Vincent was saying this to me all week and with Lewis supporting him, I swear I was getting annoyed with the both of them.

"Oh, why do I have to miss out on everything?!" Lewis pouted.

"Lewis you didn't miss out on anything. Trust me, it's not something you want to see." I saw Lewis roll his eyes.

"Well, you're going to have to see him eventually Bella, don't you have to switch Max and Mags with him again this week? You don't have George to help you with that anymore and I'm sure Alice is busy," Lewis said.

I paused and then looked at the both of them. "You two are not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope!" they both answered and laughed.

"Okay, fine, I'm sick of you two bothering me with this…will you both promise to stop bugging me if I finally let him talk to me?" I said to Lewis and Vincent.

"Of course!" they both chimed with devilish grins. They were definitely worse than Alice and Rose.

I headed home from work that day and kept to my word that if Edward called or wanted to talk to me I would make myself available.

As soon as I got back I saw tons of moving boxes and furniture in the hallway with Edward's door open.

_What was going on? Who was moving? Was it Edward? _

Oh no … I could feel my body tense up and my palms starting to sweat. I was starting to have a panic attack because I knew that this would affect Mags.

_What would happen to Max and Maggie? What was I going to do? _

I stood there in shock and lost in my thoughts that I didn't even see Edward come up to me with a moving box. Both Max and Maggie were standing there next to him wagging their tails. They looked excited and I wasn't sure why.

He waved his hand in my face.

"Bella? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Oh, hey." I said and looked up at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, uh…no…"

"So you're finally talking to me now, huh?" he said.

How was I going to do this? I needed to tell him what was bothering me all week.

I reluctantly replied. "Yeah, listen …" he cut me off before I could speak.

"Can I say something first?"

I nodded my head yes for him to go on.

"I just…" He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I want to apologize for over-reacting that day at the bar. I shouldn't have said those things to you especially in front of your boss and friends. I honestly had no idea who they were," he said sincerely. "I know that I jumped to conclusions about things that I saw and I didn't mean to get you upset or embarrass you."

I thought about it for a moment and looked at him and into his green eyes. I could tell that he was being genuine so I said, "Apology accepted."

I paused. Here goes! I have to say something!

"I…I think I owe you an apology. You are right, it's none of my business what you do and I will refrain from saying anything further about your personal life. I was wrong all this time. I should have never judged you or jumped to conclusions. It is your life and you can live it the way you want to. I am sorry about the way I have been acting to you." _For all these years. _

_WOW, I just apologized. That's a big step for me. _

I could tell he was shocked. "Oh, um…apology accepted. And, for the record, I did not kiss Jessica. She kissed me and I was extremely surprised to see her that day. She was the last person that I would expect to see after what she did," his voice trailed off.

_What does he mean by that? _

"How about we call a truce then?" he said taking out his hand for a shake.

I thought about it. Is this the first step to us being friends? I pushed the thought back and thought it was good to at least end the war now. "Truce," I said back while shaking his hand ignoring the electric shock again. "So, what's going on here?"

"Oh yeah, we weren't on talking terms so I didn't get a chance to tell you but I'm moving," as he said that I could feel a sinking feeling in my stomach.

_What?! He was moving? What about Max and Maggie? _

I think he noticed my reaction and said quickly, "I purchased the unit down the hall."

Oh … I felt relief wash over me. I didn't have to worry about Max and Mags anymore but was that the full reason why I was so relieved?

"I thought it was time that Rose and Emmett get their own place since they are engaged now. So you can just come to my place to drop off Max and Mags now," he said.

"Oh, that's convenient, being down the hall, you know I was worried for a moment because it would be hard if you were moving across town or something," and then I realized what I had said and tried to recover quickly.

"Not…not that I meant that it would be hard for me for you to be away…ugh, that's not what I mean…let me start over…I meant that it would be hard for Max and Mags. I was just worried how to handle them if one of us were to ever move."

_Was I mentally retarded? GOD, I sound like a bumbling idiot! _

"Oh, I'm sure you would miss me too if that happened," he said teasing.

"Yeah, right! You know you really are arro-," and with that he put a hand over my mouth again so that I couldn't speak.

"I was just joking. I understand how you feel and don't need you to constantly remind me about it," he said as he let go. My lips were burning again.

"You know you really need to stop doing that!" I hissed.

"I'll keep doing it until you can control your temper," he said as he laughed and walked away. Max and Maggie looked between us trying to decide what to do and ended up following Edward into his apartment.

He was right. My temper was always out of control.

**

* * *

**

BPOV

It was Sunday morning and I got up and out of bed early. Alice spent the night at Jasper's so I was alone in the apartment. I threw on sweatpants and a sweatshirt since I wanted to go jogging at Central Park. Then I heard …

_Be yourself don't hide_

_Just believe in destiny_

_Don't care what people say_

_Just follow your own way_

_Don't give up and miss the chance_

_(Return to Innocence – Enigma)_

I picked up my cell phone. "Hello?"

"I'm ENGAGED!" I heard Alice scream as I immediately pulled the phone away from my ear. I was now official deaf. "Ow! Alice! Deaf Ear!" I yelled back and rubbed my ear. I realized what she just said and I started screaming back now and jumping up and down. "I'm SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

"How did it happen? Was it last night?!" I asked as she launched into the story about the proposal. There were flowers, candles and a nice dinner involved.

She already went into full wedding planning mode and lost me when she said we had to go shopping for dresses and about some sort of binder she put together for planning. She was going with her Option A wedding which meant a $1 Million wedding. And she went on about how Lewis would be the perfect person to help her with the planning.

_Thank God! I didn't have to do it! _

After an hour, we hung up and I sat on the couch lost in my thoughts.

I was so happy for Alice and Jasper. I knew it would happen but maybe I was secretly hoping it wouldn't happen that soon? Especially since Emmett and Rose were engaged and getting married in March. I know that's bad to even think it but I was hoping I would find someone before they left me alone. And now I was really alone.

I got used to being alone when Alice and Rose left San Francisco but I had George. Here, I didn't have anyone else that I could live with. They would probably want me to move out soon. What was I going to do? I can't intrude on their lives any longer.

Panic washed over me and I couldn't think. I grabbed my keys and iPod and headed out for my jog.

I threw in my earbuds and blasted the music trying to drown out my thoughts. I was listening to Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold". I became so lost in my thoughts jogging around Central Park that I didn't even notice Maggie coming up to me. I bent down to pet her. "Oh Mags, Hey!" I saw Max too and started petting him as well.

Edward came up to me and was moving his mouth but I couldn't hear him and then I realized I had my earbuds still in. I pulled them out and said, "What was that again?"

Edward looked at me and said, "Are you okay? You looked sort of out of it."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said back with a fake smile. He knew my fake smile and wasn't letting it go.

"I can tell you're not fine. What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

_Did he really care? _

I tensed up and I could tell he sensed my tension and then he said, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, let's just jog together then." I nodded and then noticed that Maggie didn't have her leash on.

"Wait, where are Max's and Maggie's leashes?" I asked him.

"Oh, uh…I normally let them run in the park without leashes, they are good dogs and never run away, they always follow me." He shrugged and ran his hand through his hair.

"Do you know that you can get fined for doing something like this? And what if they go crazy and run away? What if someone comes up to you and they attack her?" I hissed.

"Don't worry about it. Max and Mags are fine. I've never gotten caught. I do it all the time. It's really no big deal. And no one has approached me yet with the both of them. They start growling the minute anyone even turns their head to stare so let's just go," he said.

I didn't argue anymore since I needed time to think. I started jogging, trying to gather all my thoughts together. I really needed someone to talk to. I just didn't know if I could talk to Edward. After an hour of jogging in silence, we ended up in front of Estelle's.

"Did you want to take a rest and grab something to eat?" he asked while pointing at Estelle's. I nodded and headed in.

Estelle greeted us. "Well, well, Bella and Edward, my two favorite customers with my two favorite dogs, Max and Maggie, same table?" she asked.

"Yes, please, Estelle," Edward said as I could barely lift a smile back at Estelle.

Estelle led us back to the same patio table again and we sat down. Max and Maggie lay down next to us at our feet. She took our orders which was now the usual for us and left. It was silent again and I knew I had to say something. I haven't said a word to him since we bumped into each other.

"I'm sorry for the silence. I just have a lot on my mind," I said to him avoiding his eyes.

"Don't worry about it, we can talk about something else to keep your mind off it, if you like?" he asked me.

I nodded my head for him to continue. He took a deep breath and said, "I know that we sort of grew up together but I honestly don't know much about you. I know that it was my fault for not getting close to everyone and it's time for me to apologize to you as I already did to the others for the distance while growing up. How about we start over as friends?"

I thought about it. I knew he had apologized to everyone else about his past behavior and that they all started new with him. It was my turn to give him a chance. So I nodded my head. He took out his hand waiting for me to shake it.

"Hi, my name is Edward Cullen," he said and smiled. I laughed. So we were starting out from the very beginning.

"Hi, my name is Isabella Swan, but call me Bella," I said back and shook his hand as he laughed.

"So, Bella, what do you like to do in your free time?" he asked.

"I like reading, writing and listening to music," I said, "What about you, Edward?"

"I like to read too and listen to music. I also play the piano," he said. I was shocked. I always thought the piano at the Cullen's house was for Esme. He looked at my expression and said, "You look surprised that I can play the piano."

"Oh yeah, I always thought the piano was Esme's, I had no idea that you could play," I said. It was then that I realized that we really didn't know anything about each other.

We spent the next three hours chatting away talking about our personal lives. It was like it was just the two of us in our own world. I didn't notice anyone else around us and I forgot about the thoughts that were plaguing my mind this morning.

It actually felt good to get to know the real Edward. Maybe he wasn't the type of person that I always made him out to be. He actually seemed like a nice and decent guy.

We headed back to the apartment, chatting and laughing along the way as Max and Maggie pranced happily in front of us. He pointed out a few other bookstores near the apartment that he said were some of his favorites. I'll have to remember to go and check them out next time.

Once we got to the front of the apartment building, Arthur saw us and smiled back.

This time he wasn't afraid to speak to us because we were actually getting along. "Good to see you, Edward and Bella!" Arthur said as he opened the door. There was something about the way he said both of our names together.

As we got into the elevator, I turned to Edward and said, "Thank you. I really needed this after this morning." I gave him a big smile.

He smiled back with the crooked smile that made my heart stop and said, "I'm glad that it helped. Friends?"

"Friends," I said back and gave him Maggie's leash. The elevator door opened on our floor and we stepped out. I bent down to hug Maggie and Max saying bye to them. After I was done, Edward turned and headed to his apartment and I walked into mine.

What was happening? Are we really friends now? I didn't want to think much of it anymore and just let it go. It's about time I put down my walls and let go.

* * *

**A/N: Were you scared that Edward was going to move away? I wouldn't make that happen! And they are friends now! Yay! I know it took awhile to get here but hopefully this is good progress right? More to come ... **

**I'll be going on a trip this weekend but will update once I get back. Have fun reading! **

**Please review! **


	14. Idea

**A/N: Aren't you glad that I didn't make Edward move away? You know I would never do that! Well, on with the story. More developments that I hope you will like!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start! She just started a new story called My Secret Sin! It's so good! Check it out when you get a chance!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 14 – Idea**

BPOV

It's been two weeks now and Edward and I have been getting along. We even went out with everyone else and there were no fights. It was definitely progress and I could tell that everyone else noticed.

I was still worried about having to move out. I was looking for apartments in secret at work but Lewis caught me and I knew I was busted.

"What are you doing?" Lewis said as he came into my office and began peering over my shoulder.

"Nothing." I said quickly as I clicked on another screen to hide what I was doing.

"Don't tell me it's nothing, Bella. I saw what you're doing, why are you looking for an apartment?" he asked giving me the third degree.

"It's nothing, Lewis and please don't tell anyone about this." I begged him.

"Oh, I know something is up. You better tell me now or I will bug you to death about this." He said and I knew he was right.

_Ugh! He's just like Alice! _

I sighed. "Okay, fine. You know how Alice and Jasper just got engaged, right?" He nodded.

"Well, I didn't want to be a burden to them anymore and thought I should get a place of my own but it has to be close to their place because of Max and Maggie and I'm having a hard time finding a place since it's too expensive for me to move out on my own and I haven't been able to find a decent place," I said back quickly.

"Did Alice tell you to move out?!" He said back almost hysterical.

"No, no, she didn't tell me anything. It's my decision but I just haven't told her yet and I know that she won't let me move. I'll feel bad about it the entire time while I'm living there so I need to move to get this guilt off me."

I could see he calmed down a bit and came over to hug me. "Bella, you don't have to feel bad. Alice is one of your best friends. I can understand that you want to move but maybe you should talk to her about it and see what she says." He tried to reassure me and left my office.

Talking to Alice about it would be difficult. I went home that night after work and saw that Alice was waiting for me on the couch.

_Damn it, Lewis! _

I silently cursed him in my head. I knew he would say something. That traitor!

Alice saw me and motioned for me to sit down on the couch.

"So I heard about what you have been doing behind my back, you know I don't like secrets Bella!" She said sternly and I could tell she was mad.

"You know I'm going to have to stop going to work now since your spy has been giving you a lot of information!" I said to her.

"Bella, don't bring Lewis into this. I would've found out sooner or later, so tell me!" She hissed.

I sighed. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret. I was going to tell you but I just wanted to find the right time."

"You don't have to move just because we're engaged. Even if we are married, you can still stay here, you're my best friend and sister, I would never kick you out." She said as she grabbed my hands.

"I know that and that's not what I think. I just know that you'll need your privacy being engaged and all and it makes sense for Jasper to move here with you. I just don't need to be in your way anymore."

"You were never in my way, Isabella Marie Swan! Get that through your thick skull! And you are not moving!" She screamed.

I cringed. She was scary when she was mad. "I think its best that I do for me to feel better. I feel so guilty now that I'm burdening you. I know it's hard for you to understand but really, I need to do this for myself." I said back to her.

I could see her mind swirling with thoughts. She was thinking. This was bad. And then she gave me a devilish grin and said, "Okay fine, but you have to agree to my terms and conditions if I agree to let you move."

"What do you mean let me move? You can't force me to stay here with you, Alice," I said.

"Oh yes, I can!" She said firmly and I could tell that she really meant it.

"Fine, what are your terms and conditions?" I asked not wanting to hear it.

"You'll have to wait and find out," she said cryptically.

_What was she thinking? What kind of crazy plan was she going to come up with this time? _

_

* * *

_EPOV

Things have been going well with my friendship with Bella. It has been two weeks and no fights. That's a record!

I didn't know as much as I wanted about her so I definitely wanted to make an effort to get to know her more. She was so interesting. She surprised me more and more each day.

I was still wondering what was bothering her that day we went jogging in Central Park. I could see the sadness in her eyes and the pain. I wanted to take the pain away from her. I tried to keep her mind busy so that she wouldn't think about it and I was glad that I was able to comfort her in some way.

I still saw the sadness in her eyes these past two weeks and I could tell that something was still bothering her. I didn't want to bring it up so I tried to keep her mind busy again.

I woke up Sunday morning to someone pounding hard on my door. I slowly got out of bed and kept hearing _"Thump, Thump, Thump"_ and my doorbell ringing like crazy. Max and Maggie were sitting anxiously in front of the door with their tails wagging.

"Okay I'm coming." I yelled out and opened the door to find my sister Alice standing there with a mischievous grin on her face. This was not good. She was up to something.

"Good Morning, Edward!" she said as she strolled into my apartment carrying take out bags from Estelle's. She bent down to pet Max and Maggie who were too busy eyeing the take out bags. I could smell the steak and eggs and my mouth began to water. She was trying to bribe me.

_What did she want? _

"Good Morning, Devil!" I said back to her as she laughed. "I know you're up to something, what's with the breakfast and the early morning wake up visit? I'm not that easily bought."

She put her hands on her hips and said, "Edward Anthony Cullen, you know that I don't have an agenda, I just wanted to bring breakfast for my favorite brother!" while prancing into the kitchen.

"Sure, Alice!" I replied rolling my eyes. I sat down at the bar stool while she took out our breakfasts and set them on the counter.

"I wanted to see how you were with your new move." She said as she climbed into the second barstool next to me.

We started chatting away and eating breakfast and I forgot that she did have an agenda. That was part of her plan.

_Damn it! _

"Alice," I said sternly. "Stop trying to distract me, what did you want?"

She was going to protest but she finally gave up. "Well, Jasper and I are engaged now and he's planning to move into the apartment." She said quickly.

"And so, what does this have to do with me?" I asked her.

"Well, Bella is having a hard time with this." She said.

Bella? Was that the reason why she was upset? The day that Alice told me she was engaged was the same day that I ran into Bella at the park…

"Wait, why?" I asked and I saw Alice's eyes perk up.

"Well, first of all she's being Bella and being stupid! She thinks that she's going to be a burden on us and she's been trying to find an apartment but she can't afford anything near this area by herself. She wants to stay close for Max and Mags and with your spare bedroom, I was wondering…ifyoureokayifshemovesinherewithyou?" She said so quickly that I could barely catch the words.

"WHAT?! Bella to move in here with me?" I said as my eyes widened.

"Edward! It makes sense, Max and Maggie can't be separated and if Bella moved it would be hard on the dogs to be together. And I would feel better knowing that she was close by and safe. And you both are getting along now, she doesn't hate you anymore and you don't hate her right?" she pleaded.

"Alice, I don't know if that's such a good idea, we just started being friends and how do you know if she would want to live here? I don't think she's going to like that idea."

"Don't worry, I have that all taken care of. So what do you say?" She said confidently.

"I don't know." I said hesitantly.

"Please, pretty please." She whined and then gave me her best puppy dog eyes and pout that I could not say no to. She was always good at getting her way.

"Fine, but you have to be the one to tell her. I don't want to be around to see her reaction when you do," I said.

She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "You're the best brother in the world, Edward! Just don't tell Emmett that!"

After we finished breakfast, she left to go back to her place and I sat down on my couch thinking.

Bella would be moving in here with me?! Would she hate the idea? It does make sense because of Max and Maggie but what if she brought a date home or I brought a date home? That would be awkward. But we're just friends right? So it shouldn't matter.

I was still nervous because we were finally friends and not enemies but now we would be roommates?

_How was that going to work? _

_

* * *

_BPOV

So it was Sunday night and Alice wanted to stay home for dinner tonight, just the two of us. I got Max and Mags back for the night and they were lounging next to each other in the corner on the dog bed. They would look at me occasionally trying to figure out what I was cooking for dinner. They would sniff the air and lick their lips but they knew they weren't getting any human food so they went back to just playing with each other.

I finished setting up dinner for us and we sat down in front of the TV.

"So…about your move, I have my terms and conditions ready now." She said as I groaned. I knew this would be bad.

"What is it then?" I said back like I was being tortured.

"It's really not that bad so stop moping!" She said and slapped me on the arm.

"Ow! Okay, fine, what is it then?" I said.

"Okay, as we agreed, you can either stay here with me or you can," she paused, "live with Edward, he has a spare bedroom at his new place." She said quickly.

_Did I just hear her right? Live with Edward?! _

"WHAT?! You want me to live with Edward?!" I said as I jumped up from the couch.

"BBBBBBEEEELLLLAAA, it makes sense. Just hear me out," she said as she grabbed my arm and pushed me back down onto the couch. "I think it works out the best since you can stay close to us and I can't have you move out alone by yourself somewhere. Then Max and Maggie can stay together without having you switch them back and forth. If you were to move somewhere else the whole custody arrangement that you and Edward have would have to change and you wouldn't want that right?" she said.

I thought about it. She was right. It did make sense for me to move in with him but we were just starting out as friends and who knows when another fight would come up again. And if we get into a fight we would be living with each other so I couldn't avoid him as easily.

"I don't know Alice." I said hesitantly.

"That's my offer, either living here with me and Jasper or living with Edward. You agreed, remember, so you have to make a decision."

She knew this would put me in a difficult situation because I didn't want to be the third wheel living with an engaged and eventually married couple. Or she could put me with my past enemy who I am just now getting along with who was single and had an extra bedroom. That devil!

But does Edward want me to live with him? She saw the look on my face and said, "I already got Edward's agreement on this and he is fine with you having the spare bedroom."

"Are you sure this is okay? We just started being friends. What if we get into another fight?" I said back to Alice.

"Then, you will fight in his apartment and not have to bring everyone else into it!" She said.

"Oh, like that's a solution," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes.

"I know you won't be fighting anymore, if anything, who knows, something might happen." She said cryptically.

"Mary Alice Cullen, you know full well that nothing is going to happen if I move there!"

"Don't bet against me Bella!"

"Fine, if I move in there, will you stop with the 'something is going to happen' psychic crazy talk?!" I said.

I could see her mind running a mile a minute and she finally looked at me and said with a grin, "Deal!"

"It looks like I'm moving then, how soon?" I asked her.

"Next weekend should work. We'll make sure everything is taken care of." She squealed as she came and hugged me.

I would have never thought in a million years that I would be living with Edward Cullen!!

* * *

**A/N: Well, what did you think? Was it expected or unexpected? I had this idea as part of the story from the beginning when I was writing it and thought it would make sense for Max and Maggie to be together permanently. And then throwing E&B together too! **

**I hope you liked it! **

**I will update again soon ... probably Sunday! **

**Please review! **


	15. Moving Again

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and alerts! I didn't get very many reviews the last chapter so I'm hoping that you are all enjoying the story. A little worried. Should I continue with this? **

**Here is a brief description of something I mention below. OCD = Obsessive Compulsive Disorder**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 15 – Moving Again**

BPOV

It was the end of the week already and it was time for my move. I could sense that Max and Maggie were getting anxious when I started packing up things and putting them in boxes. They were both staring at my closet and then at me with a curious expression on their faces wondering what was going on. You could see their heads following me with every movement. As soon as I went over to Edward's unit with my things, I could see that they weren't anxious anymore.

I knocked on the door. Edward opened it grabbing the box out of my hands, "Here let me help you," before I could say anything. I really hated when people helped me.

Maggie was so happy she dashed in and flopped herself right on the dog bed as Max followed behind her.

"I can see that she's excited about the move!" Edward said and smiled.

"Yeah, they were both getting antsy earlier when I was packing my things. I think they both thought that I was moving away." I laughed.

Then Alice and Jasper came over with boxes as well. "Bella, where do you want us to put these?" she said.

I looked at Edward since I didn't want to invade his space and he pointed at an empty space near the wall where they could put down my things. The layout of his apartment was exactly the same as Alice's but slightly larger. The furniture was a little different though. It looked more like a bachelor pad with a long black leather couch and an Xbox, PS3 and Wii to go with the huge 60" TV and sound system. I could see a piano in the corner of the room and it made me feel guilty that he probably had to move it from the second bedroom and put it outside.

I immediately turned to him and said, "Are you sure about this? I feel like I'm intruding on your personal space. I know you had to move the piano out here from the second bedroom and I feel horrible about that."

He gave me a look probably wondering how I knew that since this was the first time I've ever stepped foot in his apartment. "I'm fine, don't worry about it Bella, I was planning to move the piano out here anyways." He said sincerely.

"Yeah, right." I said rolling my eyes and making myself feel even worse.

"BEEELLLLAA, would you please stop already?! You've been whining about this move all week! Don't worry about it and trust me, Edward did want to move the piano outside anyways." Alice said.

"All right, all right. I'll go get the rest of my things." I said and walked out. There was no point arguing with Alice. She always wins.

I went back to grab my clothes which were already on hangers. I was lucky I didn't have to pack it all away. Edward saw me when I came back and motioned to me to go toward the second door. "Here, this is your room," as he opened the door. The room was exactly the same as my bedroom in Alice's apartment. They also moved the furniture earlier that morning so everything was put in exactly the same place.

"Thanks Edward! You know I really appreciate it that you're letting me live with you," I said while walking toward the closet and hanging up my clothes.

"It's no problem at all and it makes sense for Max and Mags." He said.

I nodded and headed back out again to get more things. After a few hours, everything was moved from Alice's apartment to Edward's. We said bye to Alice and Jasper and then it was both of us alone. In his apartment.

Can you say awkward?

I've lived with a man before but not a straight man so this was definitely an adjustment. I would definitely have to remember not to prance around in my underwear or skimpy pajamas.

"Did you need any help unpacking?" Edward said as I walked toward my boxes.

"No, I'm fine really. I can take care of it." I said.

"It looks like you have a lot of stuff and I have time. Let me help," he pleaded.

"Okay, but only if you have time, I don't want to trouble you any more than I have to." I said as I looked around and saw a bunch of boxes. I pointed in that direction and said, "Those boxes are full of books. Could you help me put them on the book shelves in my room? I was going to organize the closet a little more."

"Sure, no problem," he said as he picked up a box and went into the room. I followed and went toward the closet.

He opened the box and I could see him examining my collection. "It looks like you like Jane Austen a lot." He said.

"Yeah, I love her. My favorite being _Pride and Prejudice_." I said.

"It's a good book." He said.

I stared him. He read classics? That was a surprise. "Oh, I didn't know you liked classics."

"I read a lot of everything. Classics, Fiction, Science Fiction, Mysteries. I also like John Grisham books because of the legal fiction. Hey, how about we play some music?" He asked.

"Yeah sure, just plug in my iPod to the stereo system. It's sitting over there on the desk."

Just then _"She Will Be Loved"_ by Maroon 5 started playing. One of my favorite bands.

"You like Maroon 5?" He asked.

"Yeah, who doesn't?" I said back with a smile.

"I like them too. Who else do you like?" He asked.

"Linkin Park, Coldplay, OneRepublic, Lifehouse and old school stuff like No Doubt and U2, I tend to listen to everything." I said still organizing my closet.

I saw him stop and look at me.

_What?! _

"Oh yeah, those are my favorites too. What are you doing with your closet?" He asked while staring at me.

"Oh." I blushed red because I knew he would probably think I was some sort of freak. "I like to organize my closet into categories such as all skirts in one area and all pants in one area and then I color coordinate them in rainbow order."

_Oh God! He is going to think I'm insane! _

I saw him pause and then he burst out laughing. "That has got to be the funniest thing that I have ever heard of."

"Hey, stop laughing at me, a lot of people do it."

"No, no, you are definitely the first that I have ever met that does that." He said.

"Whatever! It helps keep things organized and clean and easier to find in the mornings. You should try it sometime. I guarantee it will change your life." I sang and laughed.

"Does Alice know about this?" He said.

"Yeah…she helps me whenever she buys me new clothes. She always thought it was weird. Let's just say that I'm a little OCDish."

"A little?" He teased. I laughed again.

"Okay, fine…maybe a little more than a little but still I just liked things done in an organized manner. I hope you don't mind if I organize the kitchen later too." I said.

"Be my guest. It's all yours." He chuckled.

He went back to helping me unpack my things. There was a box full with pictures and I told him to lay out all the frames on another shelf. I could see him examining all the photos and it looked like there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

I tried to get him to think of something else. "So are you going to have guy's nights here? I really don't mind if you do just let me know and I can always go out and stay with Alice or Rose."

I knew the guys would have their sports nights twice a week to watch sports games. They would switch off between their apartments.

"Bella, I'm not going to kick you out of our apartment for guy's nights. You're more than welcome to stay. It's your apartment now too." He said.

Our apartment? Just hearing it made me get butterflies in my stomach. Damn it, Bella! We're just roommates.

"Well, of course if it's basketball then I'm going to stay and watch." I said and smiled at him.

"You like basketball?" He looked me at curiously.

"I like watching it but I can't play. I'm bad at all sports. I'm just not an athletic person. The most of my active lifestyle is just jogging and lifting my hand up holding the TV remote to change the channel." I said and he laughed. I could see from his eyes that he was thinking about something but I ignored it.

"Who is your favorite team?" He said.

"The Lakers, of course! I have to be proud of our home town team." I said back to him. "What about you?"

"I'm a huge Knicks fan. I have been ever since I moved here."

"Traitor! Have you no loyalty to our home town team?" I teased. "Well, you are going down then! Let's hope they both make playoffs this year and they play in the championship finals! We can make it bet on it." I knew that the guys always made sports bets.

"You're on!" He said and flashed me his crooked smile.

We focused the rest of our time putting my things away. I would catch him looking at me at times but it was probably because of my crazy closet rules and organizing.

**

* * *

**The next day I woke up and got dressed in jeans and a light blue crewneck cable knit sweater.

I walked out into the living room to see that Edward was already up and sitting on the couch with his laptop. He was wearing his grey sweatpants and a Harvard sweatshirt. Max and Maggie were lying on the dog bed looking at us.

"Good Morning, Edward! Do you mind if I look through your kitchen? I wanted to make a stop at the market today and pick up some cleaning and cooking supplies." I said as I walked toward the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Bella! Sure, no problem, and you don't have to ask me next time." He said.

I finished looking around and making a list of items that I needed to pick up. I went back to my room to grab my purse.

"Hey, can I come with you? I need to pick up a few things myself." He yelled to me from where he was at.

"Sure." I yelled back from inside my room.

"Okay, let me throw on some warmer clothes and we can go."

I waited for a few minutes and he came out with jeans and a black turtleneck sweater looking like a GQ model. I had to stop myself from staring at him and walked toward the front door.

"We can take my car." I said and we headed downstairs.

We walked towards my White Range Rover in the parking garage.

"Nice Car." He said as he got into the passenger seat.

"Thanks! I got it because of Mags! I needed a bigger car and I love it!" I said.

As I drove out of the parking garage, I started toward the market. I was driving a little slower than usual because I was afraid of driving in New York. People are crazy drivers here! Edward seemed to notice and I could tell he was getting frustrated. He was running his hand through his hair.

"You know, any time now Bella, you can step on the gas a little more."

"Calm down, I'm just taking my time. Plus, I just moved in with you, I don't want to kill you too." I said as he laughed.

"I'm sure you won't kill me by going this slow, you're moving ten miles per hour. I think senior citizens here drive faster than you." He teased.

"Shut up! I'm just really paranoid driving in New York, the drivers here are crazy! I'm just being extra careful!" I hissed.

We finally reached the market and went inside. I could see women staring and gawking at Edward. It was definitely something I would have to get used to being around him. I ignored them and grabbed a cart.

"Are you busy for dinner tonight?" I asked him assuming he probably was and going on some date.

"No, no plans." He said.

"Oh okay, well, I could make dinner for us tonight. Are you okay with that?" I said to him.

"Sure, that sounds good." He smiled.

"Are you picky about food?"

"Nope, I eat anything."

"Good because if you were picky then I'd have to find another roommate!" I smirked at him.

I went to grab fruits and vegetables throwing them into the cart. I could feel Edward's eyes on me from time to time but whenever I looked at him he would look away. He was probably checking to make sure that I didn't grab the same items as him.

After an hour, the cart was so full that it looked like it was enough to feed an army. I went around to the cereal aisle for my last stop before checking out. Edward wandered off elsewhere so I told him to meet me at the front by the checkout stands. I scanned the aisle and found what I was looking for. I went up to reach for a box of _Honey Nut Cheerios_ when I saw a hand reaching for it at the same time. I looked to my side and saw Edward.

"You like this cereal too?" I said.

"Of course! It's my favorite!" He said.

I threw the box into the cart. I also saw him holding a container of _Haagan-Daas_ Strawberry Ice Cream. I could tell that I was ogling it and Edward waved his hand in front of my face.

"Bella? Are you okay?"

"Uh…Yeah, I just have a weakness for ice cream and especially that ice cream, good choice!" I pointed at the carton as he smiled at me and threw the container into the cart.

I walked to the front to stand in line to pay. I could see most of the women in line gawking again and glaring daggers at me.

I whispered to him. "You know all of these women are staring at you right?"

"Oh really, I hadn't noticed."

"Edward! Stop being stupid! It's really annoying, maybe next time I should come here on my own, it makes me uncomfortable."

"Why are you uncomfortable? Are you jealous?" he teased.

"Uh, Noooo!" I said rolling my eyes. "Nevermind, let's just get to the car and go home!"

After arguing with Edward about who would pay for the groceries. I won but only after the cashier yelled at us to hurry up. We walked out of the store and I could feel Edward's hand on the small of back leading me outside. I could feel the warmth radiating through my coat. We loaded the car and then he put out his hand in front of me and said, "Keys, please!"

"What? No! I'm not letting you drive my car!"

"Bella, if you don't let me drive we won't get home for another two hours when we're only fifteen minutes away."

"Ha ha ha." I said mocking him.

He ignored me and said, "I'm a very safe driver, please hand over the keys."

I hesitated at first but I was getting tired and threw him my keys. "Fine, but be sure not to harm my baby!" I said as he laughed.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea that I let him drive. He was driving like a maniac! I gripped so hard onto the side of the car that I thought I would take out the door handle.

"Edward! Slow down! EEKKKKK!" I screamed as he swerved past a car. "It's wet outside and what if the tires skid and we hit something…Oh Dear GOD! I don't want to die. Please I don't want to die." I screamed and closed my eyes.

He was obviously amused and was laughing. "Come on, Bella! I've lived here for awhile now so I'm used to driving in New York. Don't worry, we're fine! Just relax!"

"I can't relax when you're driving like we're on some sort of high speed chase! Please SLOW DOWN!" I yelled.

He finally slowed down a little and said, "There are you happy now?"

"That's a little better, thank you!" I said but I still had my arm gripped to the side of my car.

We got home in record time and unloaded the car going back up to the apartment. Max and Maggie greeted us at the door. Edward started to unload the groceries and I started making dinner. After Edward was done unloading the groceries he fed both Max and Maggie. I threw the lasagna into the oven and we both went into our rooms.

I changed into my grey sweatpants and tight white t-shirt. I took out my contacts and put on my glasses. I grabbed my laptop and walked to the living room.

Edward was already sitting on the couch in grey sweats and a t-shirt with Max and Maggie lying next to him on the couch. He was working on his laptop and was also wearing silver thin-rimmed glasses.

"Since when did you start wearing glasses?" I asked him.

He looked up at me and smiled, noticing the similarity. "Oh, I got them in college. I only wear them when I read."

I smirked at him. He probably didn't remember but he used to tease me in elementary school for wearing glasses. Eventually, I got contacts in junior high and the teasing finally stopped.

I could tell he was thinking something as I sat down on the couch next to him shooing Max and Maggie to sit on the floor next to us.

"I'm so sorry Bella." He blurted out.

"Sorry about what?"

"I just remembered that I used to tease you endlessly in elementary school about your glasses. I was a stupid kid. I'm really sorry about that." He frowned.

I was surprised that he even remembered and even more surprised that he apologized for it.

"Don't worry about it. We do stupid things when we're kids." I said and smiled at him.

His frown slowly turned into a smile. He looked at what I was wearing and then started laughing.

"What's so funny? Is there something on me?" I said as I looked down at my clothes to see if I had stains.

"Nothing, it's just that we match." He said.

"Oh." I said as I looked at him and then to me and blushed red. He definitely looked cute with his glasses on. Why did he always have to look so good? He even made sweats and a t-shirt look good.

"So what are you working on?" I tried to change the subject.

"I have a case that I'm working on for the Sony Music Group, which reminds me I'll probably be working late nights at the office this week."

"Oh, okay." It was weird having to tell each other our schedules. But I guess it came with the territory now that we were roommates. I'm sure he would want to know where I was in case I came home late or something.

"How about you? What are you working on?"

"I'm just editing some book reviews for work."

We sat in a comfortable silence on the couch both working away on our computers and I heard the cooking alarm ding. I got up and took out the lasagna.

"Wow, that smells good!" He said eyeing me as I pulled some dishes from the kitchen cabinet.

"You don't mind if we eat in front of the TV do you?" I asked him.

"No, not at all, what do you want to watch?" he asked as I started to setup the coffee table for dinner.

"Let's see what day is it today? Hmmm…Oh my gosh! Let's watch _Heroes_!" I said excitedly while I put down the lasagna and two Cokes.

"Yeah, I love _Heroes_! It's my favorite show!"

"Mine too!" He changed the channel as Heroes was just starting.

"Wow, Bella! This is a lot of food! I had no idea that you liked to cook."

"Yep, I love cooking! And don't worry, if we have leftovers we'll finish it during the week."

We sat on the next to each other cross legged as we watched TV and ate. I could feel his knee brush against mine occasionally and wondered if he could feel the tingle as well.

"If you could have a superpower, what would you pick?" I asked him as _Heroes_ ended.

"Probably Matt Parkman's power, the one who can read people's thoughts."

"Really? Why?"

"Because I would want to know what everyone around me is thinking. I'm usually good at reading people but there are some people that really surprise me." He said as if he was hinting something. "What about you?"

"Hmm … Probably Claire Bennett. I'm not the most graceful person in the world so it would help to be able to heal and it would be cool to live forever but I also really like Hiro Nakamura's power to be able to travel back in time and alter the future. There would probably be some things that I would want to change or make differently in my life."

"What would you change to make it different?" I was afraid he would ask this question and I wasn't sure if I should answer it. "I mean, you don't have to tell me if it's private."

I decided to just let go. "Well, one thing I would definitely change is that I would have not made the decision to date my high school and college boyfriends, who both cheated on me. They were womanizing male idiots that tricked me into falling for them. In a way, they sort of made me who I am today. Someone who can't trust guys." I said and looked at Edward. I could see something in his eyes but couldn't place it.

I kept talking seeing that he was quiet. "And … I would probably change my hatred toward you and take it down a notch." He laughed.

"I would want to take back some horrible things that I said which honestly I probably said because I was angry and I tend to blurt things out before thinking about it. It's great that we're friends now but we could've have been friends a lot earlier if it wasn't for me being stubborn and stupid. I'm sorry about that." I said as my cheeks flushed pink. I knew that would've been one of the things I would've changed about my past but I didn't want to tell him about it. For some reason, it just came out. I felt so comfortable being around him that I felt like I could talk about anything.

He looked at me and said sincerely. "I understand now why you hated me so much. I'm not proud of what I did in the past either and wish that I could go back and change things but I know that I reminded you of them. I apologize for that. I'm not like that anymore and hopefully you'll give me the chance to let you trust me as a friend. And for the record, I want you to know that I never cheated on anyone before. In fact, remember that time in high school, the last day of my senior year, when you saw me with Jessica Stanley?"

I nodded dreading to remember that day.

"You actually revealed to me that she cheated on me. I had no idea what happened. In fact, if you didn't say anything I wouldn't have known."

_What?! He didn't know?! _

He paused and then looked at me. "And I wanted to comfort you that day when I saw you crying. I was definitely not on Jessica's side. She said some horrible things to you."

Realization hit me and I immediately started to feel guilty. I always thought I was right about what happened but now I found out that I was completely wrong.

"Oh, Edward. I'm so sorry! I had it wrong all this time. I'm so stupid for thinking things that I shouldn't have." I said truthfully.

"Don't worry about it Bella, it was so long ago. And I'm sorry for being stubborn and stupid as well. You're not the only one capable of being stubborn." He smirked at me.

We washed the dishes and talked more about high school and our stupid pasts and little things we would've have changed. He thanked me for making dinner and complimented me on my cooking skills and I assured him that there were more dinners to come. He went back to working on his laptop and I went to my room to go to bed.

I rolled around for about an hour and figured I couldn't sleep. I grabbed a book from my bookshelf and went into the living room. Edward turned and saw me giving me a questioning look.

"I couldn't sleep so I figured I could read until I fall asleep. Am I bothering you?" I said.

"No, not at all. I'm still working on some things and will be up for awhile. Sit down." he said and patted the couch space next to him.

I sat and curled myself up on the sofa and started reading. I didn't know how long I was reading for but the next thing I knew I was asleep. I felt something strong wrap around me carrying me somewhere and then I felt the softness of my bed and drifted off into a heavier sleep.

* * *

**A/N: So I hope that you liked this ... it's more roommate bonding and fluff and just trying to resolve the past conflict issues that they had. There will be more good E&B stuff coming up.**

**Heroes is a TV Show in the US and I believe they show all over the world as well but it's a great show! I had to incorporate it in here somehow! **

**Please review! **


	16. Progress

**A/N: I'm so glad that you like this story! Thanks to all those who added this to your alerts and favs! It is very different from my other story, Ridge Crest Prep, and it is a little harder for me to write due to the content but I hope you are enjoying it.  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 16 – Progress**

EPOV

I sat working on my case while Bella was reading next to me on the sofa. I could hear her soft breathing and I looked to see that she had fallen asleep after fifteen minutes. She looked so peaceful. I picked her up in my arms and carried her to her room. I placed her on the bed and tucked her in. She felt so small and frail. I never realized how tiny she was.

I walked back out and sat on the couch trying to work on my case but all I could think about was this weekend. Bella moved in with me. Who would've ever thought that we would be living together as roommates?

We were just starting to be friends and this weekend we learned a lot more about each other. I didn't realize that we had so much in common.

As I was helping her unpack, I looked through her photos and they ranged from when she was younger to the present. She had photos of her and Maggie, her and George, her and her parents, and her with Alice, Rose, Emmett and Jasper. I soon realized that I was the only one missing from the photos and couldn't help but feel sad. It was mainly my fault that this happened. And just talking to her today brought back so many memories while growing up.

--Flashback—

_We divided ourselves into two teams. Rose, Emmett and Bella on one team and Jasper, Alice and I on the other team. We were playing soccer. I was 12 and Bella was 10. I knew she was very clumsy and knew that our team would win. We huddled up to start making our plans. _

_We went back to the line and started playing. I was supposed to defend against Bella which was going to be easy. She was smaller than me but I was faster. She got the ball and started kicking it toward the goal. I came up to her side and kicked the ball out from under her but also to purposely trip her. As that happened, she tripped badly and fell. I ended up scoring for our team and jumped up in victory to hi-five Alice and Jasper. She got up and stalked toward me screaming. "Cullen, you tripped me on purpose!" _

"_Did not. Swan, did you not know that you have two left feet? Why do you even bother playing? You're just going to hurt yourself." I teased. _

"_I hate you, Cullen! You did that on purpose to trip me, I know it! I'm not playing with you ever again!" She huffed and stalked away with Rose and Alice following behind her. _

--End of Flashback—

Okay, maybe I did trip her on purpose but I did it for fun at the time. I was a stupid 12 year old boy. I felt bad and when she said told me today that she didn't play sports, it reminded me of why. I cringed hoping that it wasn't because of what I did that made her swear off from playing sports all together but I distinctly remembered how much Emmett and Jasper would make fun of her klutziness.

Throughout the weekend, I would catch myself looking at her. I hope she didn't notice. I started realizing more and more how beautiful she was. She surprised me each day and I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about her and what was going on inside of her head. She was such a hard person to read.

Did I like her? When she told me about her high school and college boyfriends, I could feel the anger rising in me. How could someone do that to her? I could see the pain in her eyes and I could see that it affected her greatly. I knew that I had to prove myself to her to know that she could trust me as a friend. I wanted to be friends with her but did I want something more?

I had to work late this week and I was a little sad that I wouldn't be able to eat dinner with Bella again. She was a great cook and it felt so right when we were having dinner together. It was like we had been friends for years.

I was sitting in my office on Monday my door flung open making me jump in my chair. I looked up and saw Emmett come charging into the room.

"Yo, Bro! How was your weekend?" He asked me with a smile.

"It was fine." I said back and shrugged my shoulders.

"So do you have anything you want to tell me?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

_What did he want to know? _Emmett could be so weird sometimes just like Alice. They were both the same…crazy.

"No, what are you talking about?"

"Uh…H-E-L-L-O, Bells moved in with you this weekend, anything you care to share…did anything happen?" He asked again wriggling his eyebrows.

"No, nothing happened. Is that all you think about Em? It was fine. She's a cool roommate."

"Oh…a cool roommate huh? Anything else?" He asked. I was getting really frustrated as to where he was going with this and started getting annoyed.

"Em, what are you trying to get at? We just became friends and now roommates. Nothing happened. I helped her unpack. We went to the grocery store and had dinner. That was it."

"YOU TWO HAD DINNER…TOGETHER?!" He said bouncing up and down. He was definitely a child stuck in a massively huge body.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? Two people can have dinner together." I said back with heavy sarcasm.

"Was it a date?" He said wriggling his eyebrows again. He better stop that. It was getting on my nerves.

"No! It was not a date. She cooked dinner for us and we watched TV and talked."

"She cooked for you?! That's a big step! You know Bells doesn't cook for just anyone. And she's a good cook too! Oooohhh…and talking…what did you talk about?" He started drumming his fingers together.

"Just normal stuff. I found out that we have a lot in common. She likes watching basketball too, did you know that?"

"Uh, yeah! Where have you been? She's like the biggest Laker fan on the planet!" He said and rolled his eyes. Of course he would know this because they were good friends and I was merely just beginning to be her friend.

He sighed and said, "Alright then, Eddie-kins. Since you're being difficult with this at least you both are friends now. It's about time. I was hoping you two would get off your high horses and start being normal. And maybe then you'll realize that you have the hots for Bells!" He said as he ran out my office door before I could say anything back.

I didn't protest to that because I wasn't sure what I was feeling. It was so confusing. I've never felt this way about anyone before. And I know for sure that Bella wouldn't see me in that way. She hated me and now she was barely getting over the hatred to accept me as a friend. I'm sure the thought of being romantically involved with me would make her want to vomit.

I shook my head and went back to work. That night I got off work at around 11pm and went home. I still didn't get dinner yet and figured that I would go home and just sleep off the hunger. The lights were dark inside the apartment. Max and Maggie were sleeping in the corner on their dog bed and I saw that Bella's door was closed and the lights were off. She was already asleep.

I went to my bedroom door and saw a bright yellow post-it note stuck to it.

_Edward _

_There is some left over lasagna from yesterday still in fridge. _

_Be sure to heat it up and eat it for dinner if you didn't eat anything yet. _

_Hope you had a good day!_

_Bella_

It made me smile. I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge then microwaved the leftovers and ate it before I went to bed. I took the post-it note and placed it on my desk in my room. Just the thought of her writing me a note to remind me about dinner made my heart jump.

_Snap out of it Edward! She is your roommate and friend! She doesn't like you! _

The next morning, I woke up and got dressed. Bella had already left work and was gone by the time I left.

I got to my office and saw that Alice was calling me.

"Hey Alice." I said as I went back to working on my case.

"Hi Edward, so how are things going with the new roommate?" She asked playfully.

_Did Emmett talk to her? _

"Everything is fine."

"So I heard that she's a cool roommate and that you have a lot in common." She giggled into the phone.

_I was going to kill Emmett! _

I tried playing it off. "Uh, yeah, she's cool and since I didn't really know too much about her before, I found out that we have a lot of the same interests."

"You have no idea." She said in an almost whisper for me not to hear but I caught it. "So anything else you want to tell me about big brother?!"

I could see where this was going. "No, there is nothing else. Really." I said with annoyance. Hopefully, she'll drop the subject.

"Okay then, I'll find out sooner or later." She teased. "I wanted to ask you something else too. What should we do for Thanksgiving this year? It's coming up in a few weeks."

"I haven't thought of that yet. You and Rose don't cook so what should we do?"

"I'll think of something. Uh, I have to go now, bye!" She hung up quickly.

What was that all about?

The time flew by and it was dark outside again. I looked at the clock and it was 11:13pm. I decided to call it a night and started to head home. I didn't get dinner again today because I was so busy. I knew that I finished all the leftovers yesterday and figured I would sleep off the hunger tonight. Bella was asleep already and I walked over to my bedroom door to find another bright yellow post-it note. My heart jumped.

_Edward_

_I know that you ate the leftovers late last night. _

_Don't they feed you at work? _

_I made Chicken Parmesan today and had leftovers._

_Be sure to eat it if you didn't have dinner already._

_Good Night!_

_Bella_

I chuckled to myself and took the note and placed it on my desk next to the other one. I went to heat up the leftovers and ate and started thinking to myself. It felt so great to have such a caring roommate. I never lived with anyone who was like this before and I knew that it was because it was Bella. She always had a big heart and cared so much about those around her because she was selfless. She was such a great person that I never let myself see this before.

I was going to write her back but I thought I would call her tomorrow when she was at work. Or maybe I was just trying to convince myself that I really wanted to hear her voice.

The next morning, I missed her again as she left for work before me. I was sleeping in a little later because of my late nights.

As I got to my office, I reached for my phone and called her cell. It rang but she didn't pick up. I didn't want to leave a message. I thought I would try catching her at work. I called Alice at work to get her number. I spoke with her assistant who patched me through to her.

"Hi Edward." I heard my sister's sweet voice come over the line.

"Hi Alice."

"What's going on?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you um…have Bella's work number?" I asked nervously.

"Oh …," she paused for a moment. "Why? You can call her cell phone."

"I know. I tried that and she's not picking up. I needed to talk to her about something."

"What about?"

"Alice, quit being nosy! It's nothing! It's something about the apartment. Just roommate stuff." I was starting to get irritated.

"Oh, okay. Well, I can just transfer you since she works here. But for the record, her number is 555-1565. Talk to you later, Edward!" She said as she transferred the line.

I could hear it ringing and then I heard a flamboyant male voice on the phone. "Bella Swan's office, who may I ask is calling?"

"This is Edward. Edward Cullen. May I speak with Bella please?"

I heard some rustling in the background and then I thought I heard him squeal and say. "OH MY GOD! It's Edward!"

I chucked to myself. _Who was this person? _

He got back on the phone calmly and said, "She'll be with you shortly. Please hold."

I heard some music in the background and then I heard the most beautiful voice that I was waiting to hear. It sounded like music to my ears.

"Edward?"

"Hi Bella."

"How did you get my work number?"

"Oh, I asked Alice for it. I called your cell and you weren't picking up. So I thought I'd try you at work."

"Oh. Is everything okay? What's going on?" She sounded concerned like there was something wrong.

"Everything is fine. I j-just w-wanted to say thank you for the dinner reminders and for making enough food for me. I was going to leave you a post it but thought it was best to talk to you. I never got a chance to catch you at the apartment."

_What was wrong with me?! I never stuttered before! _

"Oh sure, no problem! I have to cook for myself anyways and since I tend to make too much food, it works out that you can eat the leftovers. What time have you been getting home anyways?" It sounded like there was a little concern in her voice.

"Around midnight. This case is killing me."

"And why haven't you been eating at work? Can't you take a break to grab dinner?" She said again sounding like she really cared.

_Did she? _

"I get too focused and I tend to lose track of the time. Thanks for the leftovers though. Without it I would've been starving these past two nights."

"You're welcome."

"Well, I have to get back to the case so I'll talk to you soon. I'll be home late the rest of the week."

"Okay," she paused. "And Edward, there will be leftovers at home for you for the rest of the week if you get hungry. Talk to you soon, Bye!" She said as she hung up the phone.

"Bye" I muttered into the dead line.

My heart was pounding so quickly in my chest after the call. This was something that I had never experienced before.

_I think I am starting to really like Bella Swan! _

_

* * *

_BPOV

When I woke up Monday morning, I was embarrassed as I realized that I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before reading while Edward was working. I was surprised to see that I was lying on my bed that morning and then it clicked that Edward had probably moved me in here. That was even more embarrassing!

I knew that Edward was going to be working late and figured that I would be nice and remind him about the leftovers in case he didn't get a chance to get dinner at work. I went to bed that night and he still had not come home yet. I didn't like to be alone in the apartment but eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next night I realized that the leftovers I left him were gone. He must be too concentrated on his work that he didn't get a chance to eat. So I made extra food for dinner making sure to leave him leftovers in case he didn't get dinner again.

It was Wednesday and I was in my office, when I heard Lewis shouting at me from outside.

"Bella, OH MY GOD! It's Edward! He's on the phone and wants to talk to you. He sounds so sexy!" Lewis squealed loudly.

I rolled my eyes at Lewis. He was the most excited about me living with Edward. He was even trying to scheme his way to come by and drop something off just so he could get a glimpse of him.

"That's fine, just transfer him, Lewis."

My phone started to ring and I picked up. "Edward?"

"Hi Bella." He said with his "sexy" voice.

"How did you get my work number?" I asked him wondering why he was calling me at work. He could've called my cell phone.

"Oh, I asked Alice for it. I called your cell and you weren't picking up. So I thought I'd try you at work."

"Oh. Is everything okay? What's going on?" I was worried.

_Did something happen? _

"Everything is fine. I j-just w-wanted to say thank you for the dinner reminders and for making enough food for me. I was going to leave you a post it but thought it was best to talk to you. I never got a chance to catch you at the apartment."

_Did I make him stutter? The Edward Cullen stuttering?! WOW!_ He actually sounded cute on the phone and I was shocked that he called just to thank me.

"Oh sure, no problem! I have to cook for myself anyways and since I tend to make too much food, it works out that you can eat the leftovers. What time have you been getting home anyways?" I hated being alone and wanted to know how late he was coming home.

"Around midnight. This case is killing me." He said sounding tired.

"And why haven't you been eating at work? Can't you take a break to grab dinner?" It was crazy that he had to work so late and not eat.

"I get too focused and I tend to lose track of the time. Thanks for the leftovers though. Without it I would've been starving these past two nights." I felt relived knowing that at least he had something to eat because of me. But why was I so concerned?

"You're welcome then."

"Well, I have to go so I'll talk to you soon. I'll be home late the rest of the week."

"Okay," I paused. _Just say it Bella!_ "And Edward, there will be leftovers at home for you for the rest of the week if you get hungry. Talk to you soon, Bye!" I hung up before he could say bye. I was so nervous.

_What was that about?! Why was I so nervous?! He is just your roommate and friend. _

Right after I hung up the phone, Lewis came into my office with a big smile.

"So how was the phone call?" He chirped.

"It was fine. He just wanted to thank me for something." I said trying to brush it off.

"For what?" he asked.

"For dinner."

"What?! You went out to dinner with him?" Lewis's eyes went wide and he jumped up and down.

"Not like that. I have been cooking dinner at night and leaving him leftovers. He's been working late."

"Honestly Bella, when are you going to admit that you have the hots for him?"

"Excuse me, what?"

"You heard me. Girlfriend, you need to wake up and smell the coffee."

I rolled my eyes at him as he giggled and went back to his desk.

**

* * *

**BPOV**  
**

The rest of the week I had cooked dinner and made enough to leave leftovers for Edward while leaving him post it notes each day. It was Friday night and I figured that I would be alone again today. I didn't have any plans and decided to make it a movie night at home. I was starting to get used to be being alone and it wasn't too bad since I had Max and Maggie. They always kept me company.

I was wearing my light pink sweats and a white t-shirt with my yellow apron and started making steak and mashed potatoes. It was around 7pm and I heard some rustling at the door.

_Who could that be? _

I could feel myself tense up and started to get scared. Edward was supposed to be home late today and I know it was definitely not him at the door. I looked at Max and Maggie who were no help since they were sleeping.

"Max, Maggie!" I whispered called out to them. They opened their eyes but barely moved. I motioned toward the door and they just rolled their eyes at me and went back to sleep.

_Great! Where is a guard dog when you need one?! _

I started getting freaked out. I grabbed a frying pan and stood closer to the front door as it swung open. I started to lunge at the person swinging the pan and screaming.

"DANGER! DANGER! AHHHH!!! GET OUT!!!"

I stopped swatting away when I heard a familiar voice yell out. "OW! BELLA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

OPPS! I stepped back to see a scared Edward standing in the doorway holding up his arms trying to dodge the frying pan.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I had no idea that you were coming home early. I thought it was a burglar or something! Are you hurt? Did I hit you hard? I'm so sorry!"

He stood in the doorway staring at me and then just started laughing. At least he wasn't mad at me. I started laughing too at the situation.

"I'm fine but you should've seen yourself whacking away! Why were you so scared? You know it's perfectly safe here." He stopped laughing and had a frown on his face.

"You scared the shit out of me! I thought you were coming home late so I was paranoid! And Max and Maggie are not the greatest guard dogs if you ask me. Sure they are great at scaring away potential dates but burglars, I don't think so, just look at them." I pointed to the two dogs that barely raised their heads to look at us and went back to snuggling.

He shook his head. "I know what you mean. Well, don't worry about burglars next time. We're in one of the safest neighborhoods in New York. Are you always this paranoid?"

"Sometimes." I smiled sheepishly. "You're early today, did you finish your case?"

He came in and closed the door as I headed back into the kitchen to cook. "No. I still have to work on it but I got pretty far from the late nights this week so that I could enjoy the weekend."

Oh, he probably had a date or something. I could feel a sick feeling in my stomach but brushed it off.

"Oh, so you have plans for tonight?"

"Oh no, I'm exhausted. I just wanted to come home and rest. What about you? No plans for tonight?" He asked.

"Nope, I was going to have a movie night and I'm making steak and mashed potatoes. Are you up for a movie night?"

"Sure! Let me go change and I'll come out and help you." He said as he started to untie his tie and loosen up his collar. He always looked so good in his work clothes and I finally got to see him in it today since I missed him all week. I could feel that I was staring at him again as he walked into his bedroom and had to shake my head.

_Stop it, Bella!_

Minutes later he came out in sweats and a t-shirt and started helping me cook dinner. We talked about our week and work and then sat down in front of the TV setting up the table for dinner.

"What movie do you want to watch?" I asked him.

"Anything, you pick, I am crashing your night." He said.

"Well, I was going to watch _Love Actually_. I always watch it when it gets closer to the holidays, is that okay?"

"Sure, I haven't seen it."

"You haven't seen it?! It's the best movie! It's one of my all-time favorites! You have to watch it but I hope it's not too girly for you." I squealed as I put the DVD in and the movie started.

We ate in silence while watching the movie and laughing at the funny parts. Once it was finished, we started to clear away the dishes, loading everything into the dishwasher.

"That was a good movie, it wasn't too girly but it was a good romantic comedy." He said as I grinned back at him.

"Are you up for another movie?" I asked him. I didn't know how tired he was and wasn't sure if I was keeping him up.

"Yeah, I don't want to go to sleep yet." He said.

"Okay, you pick then, it's your turn." I said.

He walked over to the wall with the massive amount of DVD's that included his collection and my collection. He pulled out _The Others_.

"How about this?" He said.

"I had never seen it but I heard it was good. Okay!" I said. I normally don't like scary movies but I heard this was definitely suspenseful rather than a gory horror movie. So I was fine with it.

We dimmed the lights a little bit for the scary movie. I grabbed a blanket and threw it over myself as I sat on the opposite end of the couch from him. The movie started and I was getting scared. It was giving me goose bumps and I hugged the blanket closer to me. I could see him glancing at me from the corner of my eye.

"Are you cold?" He asked shifting closer to me.

I shook my head. "No, I'm just scared" I said in my whimpy voice.

He started laughing.

"Stop laughing! It's really scary." I said back at him as I threw a cushion that hit him in the head.

"We can stop watching if you're scared."

"No, don't stop it. I want to see what happens." I watched the TV more intently. I could see him glancing at me from time to time probably checking on me to make sure that I wasn't too scared.

Right when it got to the scariest part in the movie, I heard a banging on our front door. I screamed so loud and jumped into Edward's lap burying my face into his chest. I started shaking and latched my arms onto his shirt into a death grip.

Max and Maggie looked at me with concerned but as they saw my position in Edward's arms I could see their tongues hanging out of their mouths smiling at us.

He was so shocked and then he started laughing. He wrapped his arms around me and started to rub circles on my back trying to calm me down. Then I realized that I was sitting on his lap! My face flushed bright red and I slowly tried to pull myself off him.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. This was so embarrassing! It felt like he was holding onto me firmly but eventually let go as I pulled away. The banging on the door was louder now and snapped us out of the situation. He got up off the couch and ran to the door.

"What happened? We heard Bella scream, is everything alright?" Rose asked frantically running into the apartment toward the couch.

Emmett walked in as well eyeing Edward and me then looking around the room. He curiously looked at the blanket and the dim lighting and raised his eyebrows.

"We were watching _The Others_ and Bella got scared." Edward said.

"You banged on the door right before the scariest part in the movie. You know we have a door bell, Em. Why don't you use that next time instead of your brute force?!" I glared at Emmett.

He laughed his booming laugh as Rose went over to pet Max and Maggie and then sat next to me on the couch.

"What's going on guys?" Edward asked them sounding impatient.

"We came over to talk about Thanksgiving." Rose said.

Emmett added. "And wanted to see what you two were up to." They both raised their eyebrows at us.

"What about Thanksgiving?" I said ignoring what they did with their facial expressions.

"Well, it turns out that there might be a snow storm during Thanksgiving this year and we may have to stay here instead of going back to Los Angeles. And Alice checked with all of our parents and they are all going on a cruise to Mexico." Rose said.

"So we have to find something to do this year and it would just be the six of us." Emmett said.

"Well, I could cook." I said while looking at Edward seeing if he was okay if we had Thanksgiving here at his place.

"Is that too much cooking for you Bella? I can help you." Edward said with what sounded like concern in his voice.

"It's not a problem at all."

"Alright then, we can have Thanksgiving here at our place. Just make sure to tell Alice and Jazz." He said as he turned to Emmett and Rose.

_Our place_, _huh?_ It made me smile.

Emmett and Rose both grinned at us. "So what were you two up to before we entered? Bells why was your face so red, huh?" Emmett teased. I could see Edward shifting uncomfortably.

_Damn Emmett! _"Oh, uh…it was nothing." I knew that my cheeks started getting pink again from remembering what happened before they came in.

"I was just scared and like we said we were just watching a movie. Did you want to watch it with us?" I asked hoping they would say no and leave. I didn't want him teasing me anymore. Rose threw me a you-better-tell-me-later look.

"Alright then, we'll take off and let you two finish the movie. Bye Bells, Bye Eddie-kins!" He said as he walked toward the door.

Rose got up from the couch and said "I'll call you later." Her eyes narrowed at me and I cringed into the couch. "See you two later!"

They hugged us and pet Maggie and Max before they left.

"So Eddie-kins huh?" I said laughing at Edward as he came back and sat next to me on the couch.

"Ugh! I hate that nickname. Emmett just doesn't stop. I swear he's like a five year old stuck in a giant body." He said.

I laughed nodding in agreement. "You are so right about that. Let's get back to the movie then, Eddie-kins!" I said teasing him. He glared at me for a second and started the movie again.

I wasn't as scared as before due to the interruption and ended up finishing the movie without screaming.

"Wow, that was a good movie!" I said as the movie ended.

"It's one of my favorites because of the twist at the end." He said and smiled.

"Yep, I didn't see that coming."

I yawned and stretched my hands up in the air. "I'm getting tired. I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"Yeah, me too." He said as he started putting away the movie.

"Good Night Edward." I said as I walked toward my room. I turned to close the door and saw him staring at me.

"Good Night Bella." He said as I looked straight into his eyes. I could see something there and my heart started pounding faster in my chest as I closed the door breaking our gaze.

That was weird. What was happening?

I grabbed my iPod and put it on as I climbed into bed. My mind was filled with thoughts about Edward. I realized that lately, my mind was always focused on him. And I had no idea why. It wasn't because I liked him, did I? I rolled around in bed until the song Desperately by Michelle Branch played as I drifted off to sleep.

_Something 'bout the way you looked at me_

_Made me think for a moment_

_That maybe we were meant to be_

_Living our lives separately_

_And it's strange that things change _

_But not me wanting you desperately_

_

* * *

_**A/N: I took the 'Danger' quote from Friends! I loved that episode! **

**Did you like it? At least more progress right? **

**I will update again soon! **

**Please review and Thanks for Reading!  
**


	17. Realization

**A/N: So I'm glad that everyone is liking the pacing of the progress in this story. I hope you like this chapter below!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 17 – Realization**

BPOV

I started running toward the beautiful meadow before me and could sense that someone was following behind me. As I reached the meadow and felt the warm sun on my skin, I admired the beautiful location with the flowers and the stream. All of a sudden, I felt two big strong arms wrap around me and swing me up in the air. I would've been scared but I started giggling. I felt so happy and comfortable and at ease. As I turned around to see who it was that stopped me, my eyes came face to face with two piercing emerald green eyes…

"GAH!!!" I sat straight up in my bed and woke up panting with sweat dripping down my forehead. I started breathing heavily and my hands were shaking.

What just happened? Did I just have a dream about Edward? Oh dear GOD!

I got up and went to take a shower to soothe me and my nerves. The odd thing was that I actually enjoyed my dream. It wasn't a nightmare. Something was definitely happening.

As I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around me. I heard the doorbell and hoped that Edward would get it. I went to my closet trying to pick out my clothes when my door flung open. There was Rose and Alice standing in the doorway as Edward was behind them in the kitchen.

"SHUT THE DOOR! I'M CHANGING!" I yelled as Edward turned to look at me. He caught me in my towel and then snapped his head away but not before I could catch the blush hitting his cheeks.

Edward Cullen blushing? That's a first.

Rose and Alice came in and slammed the door. I started to change as I could see the death glares they were giving me.

"What?" I said as I finally finished throwing on my jeans and an ivory sweater.

"You are keeping secrets from us." Rose said menacingly.

Before I could speak, Alice jumped in. "You are too Bella! I called Lewis and he told us about the dinners, now spill!"

"It's nothing! I'm serious. We're just roommates. Nothing is going on." I had my hands on my hips yelling at them.

"Emmett and I did not walk into nothing last night, Isabella Marie Swan!" Rose said.

"What happened? You have to tell us!" Alice said bouncing up and down.

"Fine! But will you two leave me alone if I tell you?!" I said.

"Nope, no can do. We're going shopping after this. Lewis is going to meet us at Gucci in an hour! And you are going, there is no way out of it." Alice said.

"Fine!" I huffed and told them about the move, the entire week and then what happened yesterday. I even told them about my dream this morning.

Alice squealed and jumped up wrapping her arms around my neck. Rose was hugging us too.

"What are you two so excited about? It's nothing! We're just roommates and friends. That's it!" I said shrugging them off.

"Oh no, it's not Bella! I know that something is happening and whether you would admit it or not. You like Edward!" She said loudly.

"SHHHH! He could hear you!" I said trying to cover her mouth and praying that he could not hear us.

"Don't worry the walls here are thick enough." Rose said confidently.

"Okay, I do not need to know why you know that but still can we keep the volume down to a minimum or I will not talk." I said as they both nodded. "I do not like him, okay?"

"Oh please, we can see it. We've known since you were 6 that you had a secret crush on him, you're just finally realizing it after all these years." Alice said while smirking.

"Wait…what?! I have NOT!" I yelled back this time.

"Bella, we've known you and Edward all of our lives. We know that you two have had this secret crush on each other since we were kids. Everyone knew. Even all of our parents." Rose said and laughed.

What the hell did Rose mean that he had a crush on me too?! Ugh! We hated each other! And that was that!

"That is NOT TRUE! I hated him while growing up! I did not have a crush on him back then and definitely not now!" I said.

"You're too stubborn to admit it and we're not going to talk to you about it anymore." Alice said.

"Fine!" I said.

We went shopping that day and I had no idea why I agreed to go with them as I became their victim. They made fun of me the entire day. Lewis included. He was just as enthusiastic about what had happened as Alice was. That night I had the same dream again and I had to admit that I did enjoy the dream. I mean to have a good-looking man star in your dreams at night, who wouldn't want that? Even if it was Edward.

The next morning I woke up to a mouth watering smell of pancakes. I quickly went to the bathroom to get ready and threw on a pair of navy blue sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.

I opened my door to see Edward cooking in the kitchen. This was a surprise. I walked over to him as he flashed me a big smile.

"Good Morning, Bella!"

"Good Morning, Edward! What's going on here?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving me leftovers all week so I decided to make you breakfast today."

"Oh really?! Well, it smells delicious. I can't wait to try the pancakes!"

I reached down petting Max and Maggie as they played around with each other. I threw a ball across the room and saw them run to get it.

I sat down in one of the bar stools at the counter as Edward placed a plate full with blueberry pancakes in front of me. He set a plate on his side of the counter too and then came over and sat next to me.

"It smells delicious!" I said.

"Dig in!" He said.

I cut into the pancakes and took a bite. They were delicious!

"Edward! These are even better than Frank's pancakes! How did you learn how to cook?"

"Esme taught me how to cook. And these are from an old family recipe. I'm glad that you like them." He said as he smiled at me.

The rest of the morning, we chatted happily and finished breakfast. Afterwards, we decided to take Max and Maggie out for a jog. This time, I forced Edward to put leashes on them just in case.

As we were running, I could see people staring at us. Some were pointing at us and whispering but they would give us a smile.

When we got to the dog park, we took off Max and Maggie's leashes to let them run around freely. They were playing with other dogs in the park but as soon as a big dog got close to Maggie, Max would go nuts. We had to hold him back and apologize to the owner for his behavior. He just seemed so protective over her.

Eventually, Max calmed down so Edward and I sat down on a bench watching them play. We talked and laughed while sharing stories about Max and Maggie.

Halfway through his story, I saw Edward freeze. He tensed up and was staring at something behind me.

"What? What is it?" I asked just about to turn my head around.

He stopped me though and said, "Quick, I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend and we have to hold Max back."

"Whoa, what? Why?" I asked.

"Just please, she's coming over here." He pleaded.

Just then it was like all things happened at once. A tall, strawberry blond woman who looked like model came up to us with her giant white poodle. Max and Maggie came running over to us. I quickly bent down and put their leashes on before anything crazy happened. Edward grabbed onto Max as I grabbed onto Maggie.

And then he did something that surprised me. He reached over and grabbed my hand. I think the look of shock on my face wasn't enough to describe how I felt. It was like our hands molded perfectly together. And I could feel the heat and electricity penetrating through me.

Max and Maggie started snarling at the woman and her dog. Edward stood up from the bench looking annoyed at the woman.

_Who was she? What the hell is going on? _

"Hello, Eddie!" The woman cooed which earned another loud growl coming from Max.

"Hi, Tanya." He said politely but I could tell he didn't want to talk to her.

"Hi, I'm Tanya." She looked at me waving her hand.

I smiled weakly and waved back. "This is my girlfriend, Bella." Edward said quickly before I could introduce myself.

Girlfriend…that sounded…nice.

I could see her eyes bug out of her head when she heard the term girlfriend and then she looked me up and down and glared at me with disgust in her eyes. She obviously thought I wasn't good enough to be with someone like Edward.

I could feel Edward squeeze my hand when she did that and I looked up at him. He was trying to reassure me that everything was fine.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a girlfriend." She sneered.

Max started barking now which caused Maggie to start barking as well.

"Yeah, well it's been two years now, hasn't it pumpkin?" He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist. He looked at me with a smirk telling me to play along.

"Yes, the most wonderful two years of my life, muffin!" I said giving him a smirk back and wrapping my arm around his waist. I could see laughter in his eyes as we tried hard not to burst out laughing blowing our cover.

"Two years? Oh well, I didn't know you were the type to commit." Tanya said frostily.

"Well, I found the right one and I didn't want to let her go." He said. I looked up at him and something in his eyes made me think he really meant it. I started to believe that this game of charades we were playing was real.

"How nice." She said sarcastically with every bit of venom in her voice. "Anyways, FiFi misses you." She said while pointing down at her dog.

It sure didn't look like FiFi missed him. Her dog's nose was stuck high in the air and looked away from us.

"And I missed you too." She said as took a step closer toward Edward.

As soon as that happened, all hell broke loose.

Maggie lunged toward her. Luckily, I held her back before she could touch Tanya but Tanya was so scared she backed away and almost tripped. FiFi looked scared to death hiding behind Tanya. Max kept barking and was trying to lunge at her as well but Edward held him back.

"Tanya, I think you should leave." Edward said.

Tanya's face was pale white now and she was shaking. After a couple of minutes, she composed herself.

"Well, I can see that your dog still has anger problems. You are lucky I didn't sue you for what happened last time. But I see that you found the perfect partner for him." She glared at Max and then at Maggie.

"I guess you two were made for each other." She sneered giving both of us an ice cold glare before she turned and walked away with FiFi walking proudly behind her.

"Who was that? And what happened between you two?" I asked.

Edward sighed while petting Max and Maggie. Max and Maggie calmed down now happy to see that Tanya and FiFi were gone.

"That was Tanya. I went out on a few dates with her about three years ago and so I thought it was okay to bring her home to meet Max. I had no idea at the time how he would react. Of course, when I brought her home, Max attacked her. That was when I realized Max's full potential for hating any woman that would get close to me. Luckily, she wasn't hurt or anything but she was pretty angry that Max had chewed up her designer shoes and purse as well as her clothes. She was threatening to sue me so I had to play it up with her and date her for a little longer than I should have."

"When I stopped seeing her she got FiFi hoping that by her getting a dog it would help the situation. She didn't even treat FiFi well. And she always complained that I had commitment issues. It was actually because of Max that I didn't want to see her anymore. I realized what type of person she was. She was controlling, manipulative and heartless."

"Anyways, enough about her. Thanks for pretending for me. Now I hope that she can stop calling me and emailing me."

"It's been three years and she still bugs you?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "Wow, talk about being persistent and stalkerish." I said.

"No kidding. Anyways, are you ready to head back?"

"Yeah, sure."

We started our jog back in a comfortable silence but I ended up getting lost in my thoughts. Tanya seemed like a bitch and the story made sense with her personality. But I was more concentrated on what just happened. We pretended we were boyfriend and girlfriend and I actually liked it.

_Did I like Edward? _

As we headed back, he spoke up first. "So muffin, eh?"

"You used pumpkin first!"

We both erupted into giggles as Max and Maggie looked at us with their tails wagging happily and their tongues hanging out of their mouths.

"Okay, okay. I will never call you pumpkin again. Unless of course if we have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend again."

"I will never call you muffin again based on the same conditions. But do you think we really need to play that game of charades again?" I asked sarcastically.

"Possibly." He said as he threw me a crooked smile.

That would be fun. But did I want it to be real?

I had a feeling deep down inside that it was true. I was starting to really like Edward.

* * *

**A/N: I loved the nicknames muffin and pumpkin! Do you think they will have to use it again? Hmmm ... **

**Also, I don't have anything against Poodles. I love all dogs but I had to pick a dog that would fit Tanya and that was one that came into mind.  
**

**Please review and let me know what you think. **


	18. Drunk

**A/N: So I won't be updating this story as much as I would like. I've been having a writer's block with this. So it will go much slower in terms of updates. I hope you still like what I have though!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start! Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 18 – Drunk**

EPOV

It was Monday and I was sitting in my office thinking about the past weekend. I was sure I had the biggest grin on my face.

I thought back to what happened on Friday night.

_--Flashback--_

_After a long week of working late nights, it was Friday and I decided that I was too exhausted and tired and that all I wanted was to go home and sleep. I had gotten far enough to be able to at least take one night off early. _

_I gathered my things and started on my way home. I wasn't sure what Bella was doing tonight. I'm pretty sure she had plans. Most single people in New York went out on Friday nights. What if she had a date? My stomach started to get queasy thinking about it. I brushed that thought away and figured that I would be alone in the apartment tonight. _

_As I got to the apartment, the door was being a little difficult. I'd have to see about getting it fixed. It took a little longer than normal for me to open it. _

_When I finally got it open, all I saw was a frying pan attacking me and I heard Bella screaming at the top of her lungs. _

"_DANGER! DANGER! AHHHH!!! GET OUT!!!"_

_What the hell was going on?_

_I put my arms up to dodge the frying pan as she hit me pretty hard. _

"_OW! BELLA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I yelled._

_--End of Flashback--_

It was the funniest thing but she looked cute trying to scare away potential burglars. Not that she should be scared in the first place. That upset me because I didn't want her to feel like she was living in an unsafe location.

When she admitted that she was paranoid, I had to hold in my laughter. We just moved in together, I didn't want to piss her off again.

I was somewhat relieved to find out that she didn't have plans and wanted to stay home and watch a movie. Of course, when she asked me to join her for her movie night, I couldn't say no even though I felt like a walking zombie.

I was surprised that I even stayed up the entire time to finish both movies. But the best part of the night was when she jumped into my lap when Emmett and Rose knocked on our door. I could smell the lavender and vanilla scent stronger than before and I realized it was her hair. I wanted to hold onto her but I kept my distance so I wouldn't scare her.

Of course, Emmett had to make it obvious with his questioning glances and suggestive looks as to what they just walked in on. I only hoped that Bella didn't notice it.

I was glad that we were doing a Thanksgiving dinner at our place and that I could help her cook. She was an amazing cook and I appreciated the fact that she cooked almost every day.

Then Saturday came and I remembered seeing her wrapped in a towel after coming right out of the shower. Rose and Alice weren't discreet when they flung the door open. I only caught a glimpse but quickly looked away.

She was my roommate and we had to respect each other's privacy. But all I know was that my thoughts were roaming to something else when I saw her and I knew that I had to get my mind quickly out of the gutter.

I knew that I wanted to do something nice for her because she had saved me leftovers all week so I decided to make my famous breakfast pancakes for her as a thank you. I was glad to see that she loved it.

But then the last person I wanted to see ended up showing her face at the park and interrupting my great day with Bella. Luckily, I had Bella pretend to be my girlfriend to get Tanya to go away. And hopefully she'll leave me alone for good.

It was actually fun playing boyfriend and girlfriend with Bella. And I swear I thought she felt the same.

It wasn't until today that I realized that maybe I wanted it to be real.

* * *

BPOV

The week flew by and it was Thursday night now. Alice was adamant about going to _Buddhakan_ for dinner and drinks with the guys. It was to celebrate Edward's big case. He finished it up which meant no more late nights. I couldn't deny that I was slightly excited about that fact.

Rose, Alice and I grabbed a cab after work to take us directly to the restaurant. I was wearing my tight black skinny pants and a dark purple silk long-sleeve blouse. The weather was getting colder now and rainy so luckily, I had my long black wool coat. I was wearing my three-inch knee-high black Manolo Blahniks boots.

We got to the restaurant and walked in. It was a large restaurant with an upstairs and downstairs. I took the girls coats and went to the coatroom as they went to the table first.

I spotted the table toward the back of the restaurant and saw that the guys were already there. All of them wearing their business suits from work.

As I started making my way back to the table, I felt someone grab my arm. It was a tall guy with brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hey, can I get you a drink?" He said.

"Maybe later. I'm here with my friends," I said as I pointed to our table. I shrugged off his hand and walked toward our table.

I saw Edward's face and he didn't look happy. Maybe he had a bad day at work.

"Hey Guys!" I said as I sat down in front of Edward.

"Oooooohhh, Bella! Who was that?! He was cute!" Rose said.

"It was no one. He just asked if I wanted a drink, no big deal." I said and shrugged my shoulders.

I could sense that everyone was looking at Edward. What was going on?

I looked at Edward and he gave me a soft smile.

"So are you happy that you finished your case?" I asked.

"I feel relieved that it's over. Now let's order. I'm starving!" He said.

We ordered our food and everyone started laughing and talking. After we finished our meal, I could see Alice and Rose smirking toward each other mischievously. This wasn't good. They were planning something.

"Hey, Edward. I bet that Bella can out drink you." Rose said confidently.

_Oh no, what were they doing? _

Emmett boomed. "Hell, yeah, bro!"

Edward raised his eyebrows. "I highly doubt that's possible."

Oh, he was in for a big surprise. He gave me an arrogant smirk.

_Ha! He really did think he could beat me. Well, I'll show him! _

I could out drink Rose and Alice and most guys in college! Of course, Emmett and Jasper knew that but Edward had no idea. He'll find out tonight.

"Come on, Cullen! Are you scared?" I teased.

I could sense he didn't want to back down now. He shrugged off his blazer and loosened up his necktie. He started to roll up his sleeves.

"You're on!" He said.

We ordered a round of shots and drinks from the waitress. Luckily, we didn't have anything to drink during dinner so we were even in terms of alcohol intake.

As soon as the waitress brought our drinks, it was game on.

"Okay are you both ready?" Rose said.

Both of us nodded our heads and shook hands. My hand was still tingling from his touch but I ignored it.

"We'll start slow and easy first. First, we have the Irish Car Bombs." Alice said.

"Wooo" Emmett said and rubbed his hands together.

We took our shots and our pints of beer. We tapped the shots to each other's glasses and dropped them into the beer before chugging it down to Emmett and Jasper's chants.

"CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!"

Once we were done, I slammed the glass down and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"Next!" Rose said.

"We have Purple Hooter shots." Alice said as she handed each of us a small shot glass filled with a purplish black colored liquid.

We tapped shots again. This time he winked at me and I rolled my eyes as we chugged it down.

After five more shots, I could start to feel the alcohol hitting me. I could see that Edward was getting a little tipsy as well.

"We can stop now Bella, I know you've had enough. I would win of course if you back down." He smirked.

Hell no! He is not getting bragging rights.

"Yeah, right, I'm barely buzzed right now. I can go for more shots, stop being a baby! I'm going to the bar to get more drinks. I'll be right back." I said while getting up from my chair.

I walked up to the bar ordering our drinks with the bartender. Then I noticed that was someone was standing next to me. It was the same guy from earlier. He looked me up and down causing bad chills to go down my spine. He looked like he wanted to eat me.

"So, can I get you a drink now?" He said trying to sound seductive.

"No thanks. I already ordered." I sneered hoping he would get the clue to leave me alone.

"Yeah, but I wanted to get one for you." He said as he tried to reach out and touch my arm. I moved it away quickly.

_Why do men always think that touching a stranger was a good thing? _

Just then, I heard an all too familiar voice. "Excuse me, I think she said she didn't want a drink. You should take that as a hint to leave her alone now." Edward said.

The guy looked at Edward and backed away leaving us.

"Thanks for helping me with that." I said and smiled at him.

"I could tell he was making you uncomfortable. I'm happy to help." He said smiling back.

_Was he watching me? _

After the bartender gave us a tray of more shots, we headed back to our table.

"Bel-la! Bel-la! Bel-la!" Emmett chanted.

"Shut it! Em! People are staring at us!" I hissed.

"More like they are staring at you." Edward whispered into my ear making me forget where I was at the moment.

_Snap out of it! What was I doing? _

_Oh yeah, kicking his ass at drinking! _

"Stop distracting me! And drink! Alice next one!" I said.

"Oh, do I distract you?" He said flashing me a cocky smile.

"No!" I yelled trying hard to concentrate on the drinking. He chuckled.

"Okay, now! We have the next shot. This is one of the stronger shots since it has 3 types of whisky. This is the 3 Wise Men. Muahaha!" She laughed as she handed us both shots of brown liquid. I hated whisky and knew that this was going to be a killer.

We tapped our glasses again and I sloshed mine down. I could feel the burn as it trailed down my throat.

Definitely nasty tasting too!

After three more shots, I was pretty much gone. Edward and I were laughing now for no reason. We kept teasing each other and I could see he was affected by the alcohol just as much as I was.

Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Alice ended up leaving us alone seeing that we were pretty much wasted.

"You know did I tell you that I'm glad we're friends now." I slurred.

"Yeah, I'm glad too." He slurred back.

"No. I mean really, really glad. You don't know how glad." I said as I hiccupped.

"I'm sure I do. I feel the same." He smiled.

I smiled back and then started giggling.

"You know I never told anyone this but you were my first kiss." I garbled.

"Huh? I was? Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, remember, I think you were twelve and I was ten." I said and brought up my fingers showing ten fingers. We both laughed.

"Was it the mistletoe in my parents' house during Christmas?" He slurred.

"Yay! That was it!" I said as I burst into another round of giggles.

"That was my first kiss too!" He laughed.

I looked around to see Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper's mouths drop open while listening to us talk or more like slur.

"What you are guys staring at?" I said while swaying and hiccupping.

"Alright, well, it looks like you two had enough for tonight!" Emmett boomed.

"No! We were just getting started, right Edward?" I beamed looking at Edward.

"Yeah." Edward replied while reaching for another shot.

Alice smacked his hand away.

"No, you two need to stop with the drinks. It's time to go home." She said.

"Okay. I'm starting to get really tired and sleepy." I replied with a yawn.

"Let's go!" I felt Rose grab my hand and steady myself. I could barely walk straight. I was stumbling. I could see Edward was walking better off than me.

_Did that mean he won? Damn it!_

We made it to the front door as Alice helped bundled me up for the cold weather. As we opened the door, a blast of cold air hit my warm skin. It made me shiver a bit.

Edward came up and put his arm around my neck.

"We'll grab a cab first and head back." He slurred.

Emmett ended up hailing a cab for us as Edward and I crawled into the back seat. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. My head was starting to feel fuzzy and heavy. I was getting tired so I rested my head against his chest.

"You have no idea how comfortable this is." I slurred.

"I know."

I could feel my eyelids drooping but tried to stay awake. Whenever I went to sleep after drinking, I would practically pass out into a deep sleep.

I could feel my heart beating faster and I could hear it pounding loudly in my ears. I knew I wasn't going to throw up. I wasn't that drunk but I was hoping that we would get back home quickly. I was just dead tired.

After a few minutes, we were outside our door. Edward got out of the cab first and helped steady me as I got out. We paid the cab and headed toward the door. I felt myself trip and before I could hit the floor, I felt two strong hands wrap around my waist. Edward pulled me into his chest. I looked up and smiled.

"Sorry. I'm a big klutz."

He smiled down at me. He then picked me up carrying me bridal style toward the elevator. I didn't want to protest. I was enjoying being in his arms. I snuggled up against his chest for warmth and closed my eyes. I could feel that I was getting closer to the crook of his neck and pressed my lips against it. I thought I felt him shiver beneath me but wasn't for sure.

The elevator stopped on our floor as he got out. I could feel him trying to get our door open. I snuggled closer to him and pressed my lips closer against his neck and then I was completely out.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I know I'm evil ... please don't kill me! I hope you liked this chapter! **

**Please review! **


	19. Morning After

**A/N: Here is long update. I think this is my longest chapter yet for this story.  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 19 – Morning After**

BPOV

I could feel the sun hitting my eyes beckoning me to wake up. I refused. I was snuggled up against something warm and comforting. I wrapped my arm and leg around it and squeezed it tighter. My head was pounding but I didn't care. I felt so relaxed.

It was only then that I realized the thing I was squeezing was firm not soft like my body pillow. That was odd.

I tried to remember what happened last night and remembered that I was drunk and at a bar.

_Who was this next to me? _

My eyes flew open slightly blurry as I tried to remember who I was with. My contacts were dried up but quickly regained moisture so that I could see.

_Oh God! Did we sleep together? _

I started freaking out. This was so not like me. I never did things like this. Ever.

I scanned my eyes around staying completely still. I could feel the person next to me snuggling closer to me. I definitely wasn't in my room. Then I realized that the room looked oddly familiar and it hit me. I was with Edward.

"GGGAAAHHHH!" I jumped out of the bed and grabbed a sheet to wrap around me.

That woke Edward up as he fell off his side of the bed. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed a sheet to wrap around him as he stood up. He looked just as surprised as I was.

_Oh Dear God! What I have I done? _

"Did…Did we have sex?" I hissed.

I looked over at him and saw that he had on a shirt and pants.

"No. I don't think so." He said trying to focus his eyes.

I moved my arms feeling around my body.

Pants. Check.

Shirt. Check.

Underwear. Check.

Bra. Check.

Phew.

I relaxed when I realized that nothing happened. I looked at the clock by his bed and saw the time.

My eyes widened. It was 8:45am and I had a meeting at 9am at the office. CRAP!

"OH MY GOD! I'm late for work! Crap! Crap! Crap!" I said while looking around trying to grab my coat, purse and shoes that were laid out around his room.

"I have to go!" I said quickly while throwing on my shoes and going toward the front door before he could say a word to me.

Max and Maggie eyed me curiously as I flew out of the room like a bat out of hell.

I ran out of the apartment as quickly as I could and took the elevator down. I hailed a cab and got in. The cab driver gave me a smug smile. I'm sure this looked like the walk of shame from hell.

I took out my mirror and looked at myself. I looked horrible. And Edward had to see me like this! Oh God!

I quickly brushed my wild haystack hair with my small brush that was in my purse and used a tissue to help smudge away my ruined makeup. I put on some lip gloss and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in my shirt while chewing on some breath mints.

Then I realized that I forgot my briefcase. I needed it for a meeting that I had in the afternoon later today. I didn't have time to go back and get it so I took out my phone and had to call the one person that I was too embarrassed to talk to right now.

I pushed the speed dial on my phone and heard it ring.

_Please pick up. Please pick up. _

"Hello?" Edward picked up sounding sleepy.

"Edward, I'm so sorry to ask you this but I left my briefcase at home and was wondering if you could drop it off at my office today before lunch?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. Where is it?" He asked.

"It's in my room on my desk. Thanks so much. You can just drop if off at the reception desk when you get there." I said while giving him directions to the office. He didn't need to come hand it to me in person. I couldn't face him after this morning. It was just too embarrassing.

I thanked him profusely and then we hung up. I was glad that the phone call wasn't awkward but I still had to face him tonight when I would get home. I was definitely not looking forward to that.

I knew that I couldn't tell Rose and Alice what happened because they would tease me endlessly. But I knew I had to talk to someone.

As I got to the office, I had three minutes before the meeting started. I walked in and saw Lewis's eyes bulge out from out of his head and his mouth dropped open to the floor.

"Oh My God! Isabella Swan, who were you with last night?!" He asked excitedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said pretending to sound like I had no idea what he was saying. He handed me my coffee as I walked into my office and set down my purse.

"Stop lying, Bella! You just did the walk of shame! You have to tell me what happened!" He hissed under his breath so that no one else could hear him.

"Fine. I'll tell you after this meeting. Is it that obvious?! GOD! Do I have any clothes that I can change into here?" I said frantically.

"You're lucky that Alice brought some clothes down here to give you a few days ago. Here they are. Now, change before anyone sees you! And you owe me details!" He said as he closed my blinds and shut my door.

I threw on the long-sleeved white blouse and the black v-neck sweater. I went to the mirror and touched up my makeup and hair quickly before heading off to my meeting. My head was still pounding but the coffee helped a little.

After the meeting, I headed back to my office and felt Lewis grab my arm pulling me inside my office as he shut the door.

"Now, spill, girl!" He said.

"You cannot tell Alice or Rose or I will never hear the end of it. I will tell everyone here that you bought fake Gucci!" I threatened.

His eyes widened in fear. I could tell he was struggling.

"That was only once, Bells! And it looked real!" He thought about it for a moment and then sighed. "Fine! Now spill!"

I told him what happened last night and up until this morning. Of course he "oohed" and "aaahed". And then I admitted what I thought I would never admit to.

"I like Edward! A lot!" I said as I threw my head into my hands.

"I KNEW IT!" He clapped his hands together jumping up and down.

"No, this is bad! We're roommates. This goes against all roommate code or whatever. And he doesn't like me and probably never will. I was so mean to him before."

"Whatever Bella!" Lewis rolled his eyes. "You two are so over the hatred. And with what happened last night it seems like you two have something going on!"

"I don't know what to do, Lewis! And now he probably thinks that I'm that type of girl that sleeps around with guys after getting drunk at a bar!"

"You two didn't sleep together though. Why would he think that?!"

"Because I still woke up in his bed. I didn't have sex with him but I slept with him!"

"That's totally different!" Lewis said.

"Argh!" I huffed.

"Well, I don't want to think about it. I have enough to worry about when I have to see him tonight back at the apartment. I practically flew out of there this morning like the place was on fire. I didn't even have time to look at his reaction or stop to give him a chance to say something." I started feeling guilty now for running out so fast.

Lewis looked at me with a smile. "It's still progress. I'm so happy!"

He walked out of my office leaving me to my thoughts. I tried working but it was nearly impossible. I kept thinking about what happened.

I felt so comfortable lying there next to him but then I freaked when I realized what happened. I was never the type to have casual sex with someone. I've never had a one-night stand before and so I jumped to conclusions and thought that was what had happened when I jumped up from the bed.

I hope he didn't think that I was repulsed to be near him. That wasn't the case at all but I knew I was digging myself into a deeper hole.

I was so lost in my thoughts when I jumped as my door flung open and Lewis walked in looking dazed.

_What was going on? _

"BELLA! I THINK I JUST DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN!" He squealed clasping his chest.

"What has got you so rattled up?" I asked standing up from my desk and walking toward the front door.

"Just look outside." He said dreamily.

What the heck was going on? He's never acted like this before. He always squealed whenever there was news about Brad Pitt or George Clooney online but this was something totally different.

I walked out toward the hall and said, "I honestly don't kn–"

"Ahh!" I screamed and ran back into the office. I saw Edward down the hall walking toward my office. Luckily, he wasn't looking toward my direction when I walked out into the hallway. I doubt that he saw me.

"OH MY GOD! What is he doing here?!" I said.

"Wait?! YOU KNOW HIM?!" Lewis squealed with delight.

"That's Edward!" I said as I saw Lewis's eyes bug out.

"That's Edward?! Your Edward?! You didn't tell me he looked like a Greek God!" He said jumping up and down.

"He's not mine but yes, that's the Edward!" I said. "He was supposed to drop off my briefcase at the front desk not come in here! What am I going to do?"

"Well, you better hurry and figure it out because he's getting closer!" Lewis whispered.

I ran to my desk pretending to work on something as Lewis dashed out of my room semi-closing my door and sat back at his desk. After a few seconds, I could see a figure approach him at the corner of my eye. I heard Edward's voice.

"Hello. I'm here to see Bella Swan."

"And who may I ask is asking to see her?" Lewis said trying to sound calm but I could detect that he was extremely excited.

"I'm Edward. Edward Cullen. And you are?"

"I'm Lewis. Bella's assistant. She's been waiting for you."

_Oh I was going to kill him!_

"Right this way." Lewis said cheerfully.

Lewis knocked on the door and throwing me a sly smile. "Bella, Edward is here to see you."

I turned from my desk pretending that I didn't see him from before and said calmly, "Edward. What a surprise! You know you didn't have to come all the way down here to bring me my briefcase. You could've left it at the front desk."

"I wanted to see your office. That's a nice view!" He said while he walked toward the windows.

Lewis was still standing in my office ogling Edward as I heard a knock on my door. I turned to look at the door and saw Vincent standing there handing me some papers.

"Here you go, Bella. I need this back by next week." He said. Then he noticed that Edward was standing there. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had company. I'll come back in a few minutes."

"No, it's alright. Vincent. This is Edward Cullen. Edward, this is Vincent. My boss." I said pointing between the two of them. They shook hands as Vincent turned to me and smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. It was nice to meet you Edward." Vincent said.

"Likewise." Edward replied.

Vincent had to pull Lewis by the arm to get him to go outside which finally snapped him out of his daze.

"So, you have a nice office and nice co-workers." Edward said giving me a smile.

"Yeah, well, it's decent. And the people here are nice." I said.

"Do you have time to grab lunch?" He said.

"Actually …" I trailed off. I was going to say that I was busy because I still felt awkward about this morning.

Then Lewis popped his head into the office and answered for me. "She's free today. Her next meeting isn't until 2pm."

I glared at Lewis while he beamed at me. He grabbed my coat and purse and shoved it in my arms pushing us out of my office.

"See you later, Bella! It was nice to meet you Edward!" He chirped.

I looked at Edward and said, "Let's go then."

As we walked down the hall toward the elevator, I could see all the stares from people and hear the whispering. I looked over at Edward who was again oblivious to all the attention.

As we waited for the elevator it dinged open and the last person I wanted to see was standing inside. Jessica Stanley. Her eyes widened as she saw the both of us. I could feel Edward tense up next to me. We stepped inside the elevator and the doors shut.

"Hi Eddie! What are you doing here?" She cooed in his ear trying to get closer to him. He threw me a help-me look and I knew what to do.

"_Edward_, came to take his girlfriend out to lunch." I said responding to Jessica sounding a little too territorial.

_He's not really your boyfriend, Bella! Get a grip! _

"Hey Muffin, where did you want to go eat at?" I said as I grabbed his hand.

"Anywhere you want, Pumpkin!" He said smiling down at me while ignoring Jessica.

I could see that Jessica huffed and stepped further away from us. I wanted to burst out laughing but couldn't. As we reached the lobby, the door dinged and Edward walked out first grabbing onto my hand leading me toward the outside of the building.

We walked toward Times Square until I realized that he was still holding my hand and Jessica was nowhere in sight.

I didn't want to say anything because I secretly didn't want him to let go.

He led me to a small Italian restaurant that was on a side street away from the madness of the tourists. We went in and grabbed a booth and it was then that he finally let go.

We ordered our food and then there was silence. I decided it was best for me to speak first regarding my behavior this morning.

"Edward, I'm really sorry for running out on you this morning. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person but I freaked out because I'm not that type of person who just sleeps around casually. I thought we did until I realized that we didn't but it freaked me out. I'm really sorry! I just don't want you to think that I'm that type of girl." I said rambling.

I looked at him to see that he looked … relieved? He took a deep breath and then said, "I don't think you're that type of girl. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to take of your reaction this morning. I thought you went back to hating me again." I could sense a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Oh no. No. Definitely not." I said with a smile.

He returned the smile and I could tell that we were relaxed again.

"Do you remember anything that happened last night?" He asked.

"It's all really fuzzy. I remember us drinking and then talking and then taking the cab back and then I blacked out." I said.

"I remember close to the same as you but I do remember carrying you back into the apartment. And that was all I remember. I don't even know how we got in the same bed. Sorry about that." He said sheepishly.

"No, don't worry about it. It's better that it was in your bed than some random guy. I almost had a heart attack this morning." I said.

We laughed. "Well, you scared me with your screaming. I thought you were some random girl too."

"Thankfully, we were with the right people." I said.

And then I froze. Did I just say that?

"I meant that at least we knew each other and we're friends rather than strangers, right?" I said taking a gulp of water trying to calm myself.

He nodded his head in agreement.

"So were you surprised that I could drink more than you?" I asked.

"We didn't exactly figure out who won that competition so I'd say it was a draw and yes, you did surprise me. I had no idea that you could drink." He said.

"Yeah, I may be small but I can definitely hold my liquor!" I said.

He laughed. "Oh but one thing is bothering me from last night."

"Really, what was it?" I cringed. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I could've said some stupid idiotic things last night.

"Something about Christmas but I can't really remember." He said confused.

Oh … did I really bring that up? Oh God! This is so embarrassing.

"Um, you know … I really don't know what that was about! Probably something silly." I said quickly while trying to change the subject.

Luckily, I managed to swing the conversation toward the weekend and he forgot about asking me further about the Christmas incident.

I never told anyone that and I hope no one else heard it last night. Damn me and my big mouth when I get drunk!

The rest of lunch flowed smoothly and we left to go back to work. I knew as soon as I stepped foot back into my office that Vincent and Lewis would corner me.

I walked to my office and opened the door to see Vincent and Lewis waiting for me. I knew it!

As I opened the door wider, I didn't expect to see Rose and Alice glaring at me.

I gulped. This was not good. What was this some sort of intervention or something?

"Okay, I didn't expect everyone to be in my office waiting for me." I said as I closed the door.

"Hey Bells." I heard George's voice. George?!

My face looked confused. "We called him. He's on speakerphone." Lewis said.

"Hi George." I groaned. This was bad if they called George to put him on speaker.

Then all the questions and shouting started at the same time.

"STOP! QUIET!" I yelled. "One at a time, please!"

"I'll go first!" Alice shrieked. "What happened last night?"

I glared at Lewis. He put his hands up in the air. "I didn't say anything."

"He didn't!" Alice confirmed. "So you have to tell us now!"

I went into the same story I told Lewis earlier this morning. Although I left out the part that I admitted liking Edward.

Rose and Alice jumped up and down while I could hear George laughing over the phone. Vincent was in shock and Lewis was beaming because he already knew before everyone else.

"Okay, then what happened at lunch?" Rose asked.

I told them about the elevator, which I got four curious faces staring back at me. I realized that I didn't tell them about what happened with Tanya yet. So I launched into the story about Tanya and then what happened in the elevator and then our lunch.

Rose and Alice jumped up and down again but this time with Lewis. I guess it was easier telling everyone in one room rather than having to repeat myself five separate times.

"So what does this mean, Bells?" George asked over the phone.

I knew I couldn't lie to George. Heck, I couldn't lie period. I was horrible at it.

"Okay. I like him. So there. You have it. I like Edward Cullen."

Everyone was quiet looking at me. They were waiting for me to say more.

_Damn it! _

"Okay, fine. I like him a lot. Happy now?" I said right before the entire room erupted into screams. I was sure people outside were wondering what the hell was going on.

"See Bells! We knew all along!" Vincent said grinning at me.

"You knew all along. We knew since she was six!" Alice said.

"No, I did not like him since then. I just realized it now." I said.

"Sure, whatever you say!" Rose said.

Then Lewis launched into discussion with Alice about how apparently I had a crush on Edward since I was six. That was ridiculous!

"You guys stop getting so excited. He doesn't feel the same way about me." I said.

"What makes you think that?" Vincent asked.

"Well, we are just roommates. That's all." I said.

"Well, we'll see about that!" Alice smirked mischievously.

We hung up with George who told me to call him later so we could talk more. And Vincent had to go to a meeting so he left the room.

I could see that Rose, Alice and Lewis were all huddled together discussing things.

I cleared my throat. I knew they were talking about me. "Ahem."

They all turned to look toward me. "I'm right here you know. I know you're whispering about me."

"Well, it's nothing. We'll see you tomorrow at game night at your place. Rose, let's go!" Alice said while grabbing Rose's arm and running out into the hallway.

_Why were they coming to game night? They never watched sports. _

Lewis grinned at me. I asked him. "What are you three planning?"

"Oh, nothing. I hope you have fun at game night tomorrow!" He sang while walking out of my office.

Whatever they were planning could not be good.

* * *

EPOV

I felt so comfortable and snuggled in closer to the warmth that was right next to me. Then I heard a girl scream loudly.

SHIT! What did I get myself into?

I fell off the bed and sat up looking around me. I rubbed my eyes and realized that Bella was standing on the other side of my bed wrapping a sheet around herself staring at me in shock.

DEEP SHIT!

I instantly grabbed the sheet to wrap around myself as well trying to figure out what was going on.

What the hell happened last night? My head was pounding like bricks were being thrown at me. I tried to recall what happened when Bella started talking to me.

"Did…Did we have sex?" She hissed.

I looked down at myself and realized I was wearing pants and my dress shirt from work.

"No. I don't think so." I said trying to focus my eyes.

I tried to recall all of the things that happened last night but couldn't. Everything was a blur. And I was so tired I just wanted to go back to sleep. My head felt heavy and I couldn't really pay attention to what was going on around me.

Then I heard her yell which made me wince. It hurt my ears because it was so loud and my ears were very sensitive this morning.

"OH MY GOD! I'm late for work! Crap! Crap! Crap!"

I watched as she frantically ran around the room grabbing her things.

"I have to go!"

That was the last thing that I heard before I saw her bolt out the door.

What just happened?

Was she upset about what happened?

Great, are we're back at square one again?

My head hurt even more now and I just wanted to sleep so I flung myself back onto my bed.

It wasn't until after ten minutes that my cell phone started to ring. I didn't want to pick it up but something told me that I should.

"Hello?" I mumbled into the phone.

"Edward, I'm so sorry to ask you this but I left my briefcase at home and was wondering if you could drop it off at my office today before lunch?" Bella asked.

I perked up at her voice and sat up only to hold onto my throbbing head. I'm surprised that the drinking didn't affect her that much. She sounded fine over the phone and she looked fine this morning. But I would never admit that she could out drink me.

"Yeah, sure. Where is it?" I said.

"It's in my room on my desk. Thanks so much. You can just drop if off at the reception desk when you get there." She said. Then she gave me directions and we hung up.

At least the phone call went well. It didn't seem like she was back to hating me again but she seemed rushed and sounded like she didn't want to talk to me over the phone. So I let it go.

I went back to sleep for another two hours and then got up to take a shower. I put on my suit and walked out of my room to feed Max and Maggie.

Once I was done, I went into Bella's room and grabbed her briefcase. Then I headed out to grab a cab.

Sitting in the quiet cab, my thoughts were bothering me. I had this nagging feeling that I needed to know what this morning was all about. I had to know. And the best thing for me to do was to go to her office and hand-deliver her briefcase. Maybe she'll go out to lunch with me.

I arrived at the office and took the elevator up to the 20th floor. I stepped out and went straight to the reception desk. I could see the receptionist eyeing me up and down.

I knew that women always looked at me. Back in high school and college, I would probably jump on it but now it just made me uncomfortable.

"Hi, I'm here to see Bella Swan."

"I'll buzz her assistant." She said making a call on her phone while continuing to stare at me.

"He's not picking up but you can go right through those doors and down the hall. Her office is on the left hand side toward the end. You'll see her name plate."

"Thank you." I replied with a smile.

I didn't turn to look at her and went straight through the glass doors toward the directions she gave me. I looked around trying to take in Bella's work environment. It was definitely a place that I could see her being comfortable working in.

As I reached her door, I saw that it was slightly closed. I saw an Asian man sitting at his desk which was facing hers and assumed that this was her assistant.

"Hello. I'm here to see Bella Swan." I said.

He looked up from his computer and smiled at me.

"And who may I ask is asking to see her?" He asked in a flamboyant voice. I recognized his voice as the same person that picked up the phone when I called Bella at the office last week.

"I'm Edward. Edward Cullen. And you are?" I answered.

"I'm Lewis. Bella's assistant. She's been waiting for you." He said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Right this way."

Lewis knocked on the door and opened it slightly to talk to Bella.

"Bella, Edward is here to see you." He opened the door wider as I saw Bella sitting at her desk typing away.

She looked up at me and gave me a fake smile.

"Edward. What a surprise! You know you didn't have to come all the way down here to bring me my briefcase. You could've left it at the front desk."

I could tell she was lying. She wasn't very good at it but I decided to play along. I was just hoping she wasn't back to hating me again.

I walked in scoping out her office. Her boss came in soon after giving her a few documents. She briefly introduced us and then Vincent and Lewis stepped out of her office, leaving us alone.

I saw that she had changed and was wearing a different top from this morning. Probably to hide what could potentially have been considered a crazy night.

"So, you have a nice office and nice co-workers." I said giving her a smile.

"Yeah, well, it's decent. And the people here are nice." She said avoiding my gaze.

_It's now or never. Just do it and ask her to lunch! It's just lunch! _

"Do you have time to grab lunch?" I asked.

"Actually …" She trailed off. She sounded like she was trying to make up an excuse not to go out to lunch with me which bothered me even more.

Then Lewis popped his head into the office and answered for her. "She's free today. Her next meeting isn't until 2pm."

Thank God for Lewis!

He grabbed Bella's coat and purse and practically pushed us out the door.

"See you later, Bella! It was nice to meet you Edward!" He chirped. I gave him a thank you smile but wasn't sure if that was how he took it. I'd seen women dazed before but this was the first time I'd seen a man dazed.

Bella looked at me reluctantly and then said, "Let's go then."

I followed her down the hall and toward the elevator in silence. The elevator dinged open and Jessica Stanley was standing there with a look for surprise on her face. I tensed up and stepped inside the elevator as the doors shut.

Jessica stepped closer to me and cooed in my ear. "Hi Eddie! What are you doing here?"

I cringed. I threw a look to Bella hoping she would understand what to do. I wasn't sure if she would help me after what happened this morning.

"_Edward_, came to take his girlfriend out to lunch." Bella answered. I thought I sensed a tone of possessiveness in her voice and I liked it.

"Hey Muffin, where did you want to go eat at?" Bella asked while grabbing onto my hand.

"Anywhere you want, Pumpkin!" I replied smiling down at Bella while ignoring Jessica.

When we reached the lobby, the door dinged and I walked out first grabbing onto Bella's hand leading her outside and away from Jessica as quickly as possible.

I led her to a small Italian restaurant that was on a side street. We went in and grabbed a booth and it was then that I realized I was still holding onto her hand. I was worried that she might take it badly so I immediately let go.

After ordering, there was a dead silence and I wasn't sure if I should apologize for what happened. Before I could say anything, Bella spoke first.

"Edward, I'm really sorry for running out on you this morning. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person but I freaked out because I'm not that type of person who just sleeps around casually. I thought we did until I realized that we didn't but it freaked me out. I'm really sorry! I just don't want you to think that I'm that type of girl."

I was relieved to know that she wasn't mad at me. Did she honestly think that I would think she was that type of girl? I reassured her and saw that she felt better. But I completely relaxed when she told me she wasn't back to hating me again.

That took a giant load off.

I asked if she remembered anything from the night before and got nowhere. She was drawing a blank just like I was. I was surprised that she could drink so much for being so tiny. I'd have to remember to ask Emmett about that later.

I knew there was something about Christmas that I remembered but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was.

We finished lunch soon after and I said bye to her as she thanked me for lunch. At least now it wouldn't be awkward going home tonight. Everything seemed better.

I headed toward my office thinking about Bella along the way. I stopped halfway and came to a realization.

I knew I had to talk to someone and I knew it had to be Jasper. I couldn't talk to Emmett about what I was thinking and feeling. He would call me a pussy and laugh.

I took out my cell phone and called Jasper's office making an appointment. I grabbed a cab and headed toward Soho.

I stepped into the office feeling slightly apprehensive that it was a psychologist's reception room that I was sitting in. There were chairs and tables with magazines. The waiting room was empty.

I walked up to the receptionist. "Hi Marlene. Is Jasper available?"

The older lady grinned at me and motioned for me to walk through the door that separated her office and the lobby.

"Edward, it's so nice to see you. Jasper is waiting for you." She chimed as she gave me a smile and looked at me through her thick round glasses.

She was old enough to be my grandmother and I was amazed that she was still employed and hadn't retired but I knew that Jasper loved having her around.

I knocked on Jasper's door and heard him yell out. "Come in."

I walked through the door as he threw me a smile and a curious look. "What are you doing here, Edward? You didn't have to make an appointment to see me."

"I know but I had to talk to you. It's about something important." I said.

"Okay, sit down. What's on your mind?" He said.

I sat down in the black leather lounge chair. It was slightly odd being in this position. I never really talked much to Jasper or anyone else about my personal life for that matter.

"It's about…Bella." I trailed off.

"And what about her?" He asked.

He was no longer Jasper anymore but Dr. Hale. I sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to make an appointment.

"Well, I think…I think I might have feelings for her." I said.

"Well, that's nothing new." He said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"All of us have known that you subconsciously always had feelings for her. You're just figuring it out now."

"What?" I said.

"Edward, we knew as kid you tormented her because you liked her. I mean that's why most kids tease other kids. But your relationship with Bella was always unique. It seemed to be more of a love-hate relationship than anything. And after the two of you were thrown together in this situation, it was only a matter of time that you realized your true feelings for her."

I slowly took everything Jasper was saying to me in. Did I really like her all this time? I know that I liked her now but I wasn't so sure about before.

"I just don't know what to do. We're living together and I don't want to scare her off. There is just something there that's pulling me toward her and it grows stronger every day. It's something I never felt with anyone before." I said.

"I'd thought I'd never hear you say those words."

"Jasper, I'm not like that anymore." I warned.

"I know, I know. Don't get me wrong. I know you changed but there hasn't been anyone that's held your interest since you've changed." He said.

He was right. I had failed after failed dates and no one that really caught my eye.

"Edward, calm down. Just let things fall in place. Everything will work out. Don't worry about it." Jasper said sensing my tension.

I was so nervous. I had a ton of questions running through my mind.

We were roommates. This could be a disaster but what if it could be something more? Was I willing to take the risk?

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? **

**Please Review! Thanks!  
**


	20. Game Night

**A/N: I know it's been forever since I updated for this story. From here on out, I think I will only be updating once a month maybe twice a month, if I'm lucky to get enough time. Thanks for all the reviews and alerts for this story! I'm so glad you are all liking it!!  
**

**Thanks again to my beta, An End Has a Start!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 20 - Game Night**

**BPOV  
**

"Mom, like I said, nothing is going on. We're just roommates," I said into the phone. I had been arguing with my mom over the phone for the past twenty minutes. She found out from Esme Cullen who heard from Carol Hale, Rose and Jasper's mom, who heard from Rose that I had moved in with Edward and was wondering why I didn't tell her. She thought there was something going on between the both of us like some secret relationship. I laughed and then started chewing on my lip.

I didn't tell her about my newfound feelings toward Edward. All I said was that I was being civil and that we were actually friends now which got a few squeals and giggles from her. Good thing she couldn't see me or my face would've given everything away.

"Bella, I'm just so excited that you are living with Edward. It makes perfect sense for Max and Maggie." I could tell there was an underlying tone in her voice. She was hoping something would happen just like everyone else but being my mother she was extremely persistent on me finding someone. She always was ever since I graduated college.

She was ecstatic when she met George and thought he was my boyfriend. When we told her he was gay, she literally almost started crying in front of him. And then she went on mumbling to herself why her only daughter couldn't meet any good-looking _single_ men. She was worried that I would be an old maid forever.

"I know that. That was why I moved here in the first place," I replied shaking myself from my thoughts.

"Well, I'm glad you told me because I was going to send you a care package since we won't be seeing each other this Thanksgiving."

"Mom, you don't need to send me anything." She was notorious for sending me care packages. She would send them to me once a month when I was in San Francisco but it started slowing down and I hadn't received one since I moved to New York. I was actually secretly hoping she was going to send me one.

"Don't worry about it. I have to send something to you. I haven't sent you anything since you moved to New York and it's been awhile now. I'll throw in some of Esme's oatmeal raisin cookies and I'll add some more surprises in there." She was hinting at something and I didn't like it.

"Mom, you know I don't like surprises." I sighed.

Maggie stared at me in confusion and then let out a sigh herself as Max stared at her and then back at me. She always knew when I was frustrated.

"Oh stop being so difficult! I have to run so be sure to look out for my package. I'll make sure it gets there around Thanksgiving! Bye, I love you!"

"Love you, Mom. Bye!" I said hanging up and throwing the phone on my bed.

"Now, what to do?" I said looking around the room. Max and Maggie were sitting in the corner of my room looking at me.

I heard a light knock on my bedroom door and saw Edward standing in the doorframe. Max and Maggie were looking at him and then back at me.

"Hey Edward," I said trying to act casual. I could tell my hands were started to sweat because I was nervous.

"Hey Bella. So the guys are coming around 6pm tonight for the Lakers vs. Knicks game. You're staying to watch it right?"

"Of course. We know which team is going to win and I have to be there to rub it in your face," I said giving him a smile.

He smiled back and my heart nearly stopped.

"Oh, really? Someone's feeling pretty confident about tonight. Don't forget we will be taking bets."

"I'm in! Did you need me to order pizza or pick up anything from the market?" I asked.

"I already took care of the food and the drinks. We should be good for tonight."

"Okay. Thanks. I think Rose and Alice are coming too."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Really?"

"Yeah, don't ask me why. I was surprised too."

This was my first game night since I came here. I heard a lot about them from Emmett and Jasper. It was usually their close-knit group of guy friends that I haven't met yet so we were expecting around ten people.

Then I got worried. "What about Max and Maggie?"

"It'll be fine. We're just watching TV with a group of friends."

"But you don't think they would attack any of them, do you?"

"No, they were fine before at the previous game nights. Everything should be fine. Don't worry about it!" he said.

He seemed pretty confident about it so I pushed that thought toward the back in my mind.

**

* * *

**

It was getting close to 6pm and I heard a knock at the door. I went to grab the door and saw Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper standing there.

"Hey guys, come on in." Emmett and Jasper looked confused most likely because they were probably wondering why Rose and Alice decided to come. They knew nothing about sports.

"Hi Bella!" Alice chimed and gave me a devious smile. I knew she was up to something but I couldn't figure out what it was.

Rose walked over to Max and Maggie who looked excited to see everyone. She knelt down and rubbed her hand on the top of their heads then turned to me.

"So, are you excited for tonight?" She said. There was a hidden meaning to her question but I couldn't pinpoint what she meant.

Just then, Edward stepped out of his room. "Hey, guys."

He went to grab dog treats to give to Max and Maggie before everyone showed up. Jasper and Emmett plopped down on the couch and started surfing through the TV channels. Alice sat at the kitchen bar on a stool and was flipping through _Vogue_.

"Rose, did you want to help me with the drinks?" I asked.

"Sure."

When we got close to the fridge, I whispered in her ear. "What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," she replied innocently.

"Yeah, right it's nothing. I'm still surprised that you two showed up. Something is going on."

"Don't worry about it Bella."

There was a knock at the door. I figured Edward would get it so I could probe Rose for more information. I was about to ask her another question when I heard a bunch of loud booming voices. That must've been the rest of the guys.

"Hey Edward." I heard some guy say.

"So we have a few others joining us today. You guys know Rose and Alice right?"

"Yeah." I heard a chorus of greetings to Rose and Alice.

I stepped out from the kitchen and saw Edward standing next to four good-looking guys. They were all about the same build and same height as Edward and Jasper. One was very muscular and similar to Emmett's build.

Edward saw me and smiled. "Guys, this is my new roommate Bella."

"Hi," I said to the group as all eyes fell on me. I was starting to feel uncomfortable being the center of attention.

"Bells, this is Joe, Nick, Andrew and Luke."

"You're the Bella that Edward talks about," Andrew said. I could feel the pink rising to my cheeks and saw Edward running a hand through his hair.

_He talks about me to his friends? _

"Yeah, we heard you're a huge Lakers fan," Joe said.

"I am. Am I the only one here?"

"Of course not, Bells!" Jasper answered.

"We still love our home town team. Just Edward here is the traitor," Emmett boomed.

Edward glared at him. "Don't worry, I'm a Lakers fan too," Luke said giving me a smile.

After everyone settled around the couches and drinking beer, the game started. I knew that I usually got into games and got pretty heated with my yelling and screaming at the TV screen. I just hope I didn't scare anyone.

It was toward the end of the first quarter when I stood up and screamed. "Damn it, Kwame! You SUCK!"

Kwame Brown had just missed a shot. In my opinion, he was one of the worst players on the team. I turned around and saw all the guys staring at me in shock aside from Emmett and Jasper who were aware of my outbursts.

"Sorry, I just get really into the games," I mumbled while sitting back down on the couch.

They all laughed. "See I told you guys!" Emmett said.

Then Rose cleared her throat. "How about we start the bets now?"

What was she trying to do? The entire time her and Alice were sitting on the bar stools reading their magazines and talking amongst themselves. They didn't turn to the TV once.

The guys started placing their money bets on the game. Right when I was about to take out my money Alice grabbed onto my hand.

"Bella, we have a better idea for your bet," Alice said.

"What? Why?"

"Just wait and see," she teased. What the heck?

As the game progressed it was now halftime so we took a break to eat dinner. We were all gathered around the coffee table eating pizza.

Edward and I were in a heated debate about which team was better and who was going to win. If we weren't friends now people would probably think we were at each other's throats again. Max and Maggie were sitting there watching us and moving their heads back and forth between us.

"The Knicks don't even have any all-stars," I yelled.

"Yes, we do!" Edward yelled louder.

"You weren't kidding about their arguing." Nick whispered to Jasper but loud enough for me to hear. I ignored them.

"Oh yeah, like who?"

He paused for a moment. "See, I knew it! You can't even come up with an answer. We at least have Kobe and Pau Gasol. We are so going to win!"

The score was tied at this point in time so there was no way of really knowing who was going to be the winner but I knew the Lakers would beat the Knicks.

"No! You're no–" Edward retorted but was cut off by Alice.

"HOLD IT! Both of you! Stop arguing. Why don't you two make a bet?"

"Okay, fine," I said taking out my wad of cash that I had in my pocket.

"Not that kind of bet," Rose hissed.

"Then what kind of bet?" Edward asked raising his eyebrows in confusion.

"How about if the Lakers win…" Alice paused for a moment to think. "Bella sets you up on a blind date and if the Knicks win then you set Bella up on a blind date."

WHAT?!

"Oh no, hell no! I do not do blind dates." I put my foot down.

"Me either. There is no way you are setting me up with someone," Edward added.

"It's not us that will set you up. Bella gets to choose for you and you get to choose for Bella," Alice said.

"Aw, come on, guys! It sounds like fun!" Emmett said. Edward looked at me trying to gauge my reaction.

"I don't know. I swore off blind dates after you set me up with that guy with the moobs." I glared at Alice while Rose laughed.

"Moobs?" Joe asked.

"Man boobs," I replied and all the guys burst out laughing.

"It's not funny. That was the worst date of my life ever. Especially when the guy started trying to flaunt his man boobs in front of me suggesting that he had the bigger chest. Gross," I said cringing at the memory of that horrible date. Everyone was laughing now except for Alice who was pouting at me.

"Bella, you know I'm sorry for setting you up with that guy. This will be different. Edward will get to choose for you and you get to choose for him. I won't have any influence. I promise."

I looked at Edward who shrugged his shoulders. He didn't seem to care. Everyone was staring at me for an answer now.

"Okay, fine," I said rolling my eyes. This was a stupid bet. If I win, who was I going to pick for him?

"Edward, what about you?" Rose asked.

"If Bella is okay with it then fine," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes!" Alice jumped up from the floor. She was clearly excited and then it clicked. They were planning this all along. But why would they want us to set each other up on blind dates?

I was still confused but decided not to think about since third quarter started. At one point during third quarter, I went to the fridge to grab a beer as Luke followed me. He was grabbing beers for the guys. The odd part was that I felt Edward's eyes following us the entire time. I couldn't shake off the feeling that he was watching us and I didn't know why. Luke was a cool guy. We chatted mostly about the Lakers and got along pretty well. He seemed like a cool friend.

As I opened the fridge door, I started handing him the beers.

"The Lakers are definitely going to the playoffs this year," Luke said.

"Of course. They are unstoppable at this point. I don't know why Edward even tries."

Luke laughed. I handed him a few more and his hands were getting full now.

"You know you're pretty cool." I had a weird feeling about this and where it was going. He was looking at me in an ogling way and I wasn't sure what he was insinuating. What was I supposed to say?

"Oh, thanks," I said giving him a weak smile. I was definitely feeling uncomfortable at this point. I quickly grabbed some beers and closed the fridge door.

Right when I was about to walk back to the TV area, he nudged my arm. I turned around to face him and saw him giving me a big smile. It wasn't that he wasn't cute or anything. He definitely was but he wasn't Edward.

"Hey, so I was wondering ..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Max and Maggie were both in the kitchen growling at him and staring him down. They looked like they were about to attack. Everyone turned and looked at us. Edward was sitting there looking amused. Emmett had the biggest grin on his face and was rubbing his hands waiting to watch the action unfold.

I glared at Edward and gave him a help-me look. He came running over to the kitchen and grabbed the beers from my hands. Max and Maggie relaxed a little seeing that Edward was next to me.

"Why don't we go back to watching the game?" I suggested hoping Luke would forget whatever he wanted to ask.

"Sure," Luke answered looking from me to Edward and headed back over to the couch. He threw the beers at Nick and Joe before sitting down. Max and Maggie slowly walked away and went back to the corner of the room to sit down.

I was relieved that he left it alone. I didn't want to have to witness another Max and Maggie attack.

"Thank God, nothing happened. Why didn't you help me sooner?" I whispered to Edward.

He chuckled. "I just wanted to see you squirm."

I slapped his arm. "Very funny." I rolled my eyes and walked past him sitting back down on the couch.

It was now fourth quarter and the Knicks were leading by two points. We were all on edge. I had more on the line than anyone else. I wouldn't have cared if I bet money but because a date was on the line I did not want to lose.

It was now down to the last five minutes of the game. I had faith that the Lakers could catch up and then the game would go into overtime giving us plenty of time to win.

"KOBE! KOBE!" Half of us chanted.

As the minutes counted down, the Lakers had possession of the ball. Kobe threw the ball to Kwame who was open. He scrambled around the court and didn't throw the ball back to Kobe who was now wide open.

"PASS THE DAMN BALL!" Emmett yelled.

"PASS IT IDIOT!" I yelled.

Just then Kwame decided to shoot the ball and go for it. He completely missed the shot as the end of the game buzzer sounded.

That was it. Game over.

I jumped up from the couch. My eyes were popping out of my head and I started screaming. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

This was not happening.

"YESSSSSSSS!" Edward yelled while hi-fiving Nick, Andrew and Joe.

Rose and Alice were giving me smirks that I wanted to rip right off their faces.

"I HATE YOU KWAME! YOU FU–" I felt someone put their hand over my mouth from yelling out obscenities.

"That's okay, Bells. We know," Jasper said trying to calm me down.

"That was just a lucky game." I turned to Edward and snickered.

"Sure. Luck," He said giving me a cocky smile.

I brought my arms together and bumped them flipping him off. It became an inside joke that we all had which we got from watching _Friends_. Everyone laughed.

After a few more minutes, the guys got up to leave saying their goodbyes. Rose, Alice and I started to clean up. Emmett and Jasper were playing with Max and Maggie. I walked over to the side of the kitchen that was closest to the door.

Edward was standing outside in the hallway and the door was slightly open. I could hear him whispering with Luke.

"Come on, Edward. You get to choose for her. Help me out, man!"

"I don't know. Let me think about it," Edward replied sounding annoyed.

"She's cute. You've been holding out on us."

I thought I heard him shuffling so I stopped eavesdropping and went back to cleaning.

Was he going to setup me with Luke? Well, whoever it was going to be it was up to him and his decision. I just hope it wasn't a guy with moobs.

**

* * *

EPOV**

"Yes, mom. I know," I said into the phone. She called asking me about living with Bella and was giving me a lecture on being a gentleman and treating her nicely. She heard the news from Carol who heard from Rose and called sounding upset why I didn't tell her.

"You know that Bella is unlike other girls. You just be sure that you treat her nicely."

"I do and I will. We're getting along now. We're good friends and she makes a good roommate." _Maybe something more too if things progress. _

"Really?" she asked sounding overly excited.

"Yeah, things are going well so don't worry about it."

"That's great. I talked to Renee and she's sending Bella a care package in a few weeks. I'm going to put some things in there for you too."

"Mom, you don't have to send me anything."

"I want to Edward. And I want to send something to Max and Maggie too."

"Mom, they have pet stores here you don't need to send them anything." I heard different voices coming from the living room. The game was about to start.

"But I saw these cute chew toys that they must have. Anyways, I have to run to my gardening club meeting. I'll talk to you soon, sweetie. Love you, Bye!"

"Bye, Mom."

We hung up. I didn't mention the feelings that I had for Bella. There was no need to let my mom into that secret or she would bug me to death. Worse, she would tell Alice who would really bug me to death and I did not need that right now.

I stepped out of the room and greeted everyone. I went over to grab dog treats to feed Max and Maggie while Emmett and Jasper went to watch TV. I was surprised that Rose and Alice actually came. I had no idea why they wanted to come. They probably didn't even know what a basketball looked like.

I heard a knock on the door and went to grab it. Nick, Joe, Andrew and Luke were standing in the doorway.

"Hey Guys." I opened the door widely so they could walk in.

"Yo!" Andrew said.

"Hey, Edward," Luke said.

"So we have a few others joining us today. You guys know Rose and Alice right?" I said.

"Yeah."

"Hey Rose, Alice."

Just then Bella stepped out from the kitchen and I could tell the guys were checking her out. Pervs!

I smiled at her. "Guys, this is my new roommate Bella."

"Hi," she said. She started fidgeting so I knew she was uncomfortable.

"Bells, this is Joe, Nick, Andrew and Luke." I introduced them quickly so that everyone could start focusing on the game instead of Bella.

"You're the Bella that Edward talks about," Andrew said.

Did he have to say something? Damn, it! I ran a hand through my hair. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have the guys come over and meet her.

"Yeah, we heard you're a huge Lakers fan," Joe said.

"I am. Am I the only one here?"

"Of course not, Bells!" Jasper answered.

"We still love our home town team. Just Edward here is the traitor." Emmett boomed.

I glared at him. "Don't worry, I'm a Lakers fan too," Luke said giving her a smile.

I was getting weird vibes from Luke and wasn't sure what he was doing. I knew his game and I could tell when he was interested in someone. He was giving off mixed signals so I wasn't sure what his intentions were toward her. I could feel a tightening in my stomach. I knew I had to control myself.

The game started so we were crowded around the television. It was cute watching Bella get so into the game. She was yelling and screaming. It shocked me at first but after awhile I thought it was hilarious.

We were eating pizza for dinner now as halftime began. Somehow Bella and I got into an argument as to which team was better. Of course, I had to defend my Knicks.

"The Lakers rely solely on Kobe. They aren't a team. It's a one-man show."

Bella looked so mad when I said that. I do admit that she was cute when she was mad.

"That's not true! We have other great players."

"Oh please, they just sit back and watch Kobe do everything." I liked egging her on. This was the first argument that we had that wasn't actually directed toward each other. It was comical.

Eventually she stumped me when she asked me to name all-stars on the Knicks. We really didn't have any. I hated to admit that she was right but I didn't want to give in. I was about to argue back but was cut off by Alice.

"HOLD IT! Both of you! Stop arguing. Why don't you two make a bet?"

"Okay, fine," Bella said taking out cash from her back pocket.

"Not that kind of bet," Rose hissed.

"Then what kind of bet?" I asked raising his eyebrows in confusion. What were they planning?

"How about if the Lakers win…" Alice paused for a moment to think. "Bella sets you up on a blind date and if the Knicks win then you set Bella up on a blind date."

That didn't sound like a good idea. I hated blind dates. Plus, I wanted to go on a date with Bella not set her up to go with someone else.

"Oh no, hell no! I do not do blind dates," Bella shrieked.

"Me either. There is no way you are setting me up with someone." I added.

"It's not us that will set you up. Bella gets to choose for you and you get to choose for Bella," Alice said.

"Aw, come on, guys! It sounds like fun!" Emmett whined.

I wasn't sure what Bella was thinking. She looked really against it which I was silently thankful for. I did not want either of us to be put in this situation. I looked at her trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"I don't know. I swore off blind dates after you set me up with that guy with the moobs." Bella glared at Alice while Rose laughed.

"Moobs?" Joe asked.

"Man boobs," she replied and all of us burst out laughing.

I had to hand it to her. She beat me in worst blind dates. Eventually, Alice was able to convince her to go with the bet, which meant that if she was okay with it then I would be okay with it.

I didn't want to argue about it in front of everyone. Third quarter started up and I noticed that Luke was throwing flirty glances at Bella. I actually noticed it most of the night and wanted to gouge his eyes out.

After a few minutes, Bella got up to grab a few beers and before I could even stand up to help her, Luke jumped up and followed behind her to the fridge. I knew he was trying to work it in that he was a Lakers fan so he could talk to her. Pathetic.

They were laughing and talking and then I saw her give him a weak smile. It didn't reach her eyes and I knew she wasn't interested.

Right when she closed the fridge door and started walking back to the TV area, he nudged her arm. This wasn't good. I knew that move. He was going to ask her out.

I looked at Max and Maggie who looked like they were both ready and on guard. Eh, maybe I should let them play a little just to see Luke squirm.

As he started talking, he was cut off by Max and Maggie who were both in the kitchen now growling at him. Everyone in the living room turned to see what was going on.

Emmett was getting excited because he always loved when Max attacked and this time he would get to see Maggie do it too.

Bella gave me a pleading look to help her so I got up from the couch and ran over to the kitchen grabbing the beers out of her hands. I knew that once Max and Maggie would see me they would start to relax.

"Why don't we go back to watching the game?" Bella said to Luke. I knew she was trying to distract him which was a good sign.

"Sure," Luke answered looking at the both of us and then headed back over to the couch. I silently thanked Max and Mags for stepping in.

"Thank God, nothing happened. Why didn't you help me sooner?" she whispered to me. She was clearly annoyed.

I laughed. "I just wanted to see you squirm." I lied. I really wanted to see Max and Maggie attack.

She slapped my arm. "Very funny." Then she rolled my eyes and walked past me sitting back down on the couch.

The game was now down to the last five minutes. The Knicks were actually leading by two points and I was surprised they held their own the entire time. Half the room started chanting Kobe's name.

"PASS THE DAMN BALL!" Emmett yelled at the TV.

"PASS IT IDIOT!" Bella screamed.

Just then Kwame Brown decided to shoot the ball and go for it. He completely missed the shot as the end of the game buzzer sounded. The game was over.

Bella jumped up from the couch. Her eyes were practically popping out of her head and she screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

"YESSSSSSSS!" I yelled while hi-fiving Nick, Andrew and Joe.

I wasn't extremely excited about winning the bet. I was mainly happy because the Knicks won which gave me bragging rights. Bella was so mad she started yelling. She really did have a bad temper. Almost as bad as mine.

"I HATE YOU KWAME! YOU FU–" Jasper put his hand over her mouth to quiet her down.

"That's okay, Bells. We know," he said.

Then she turned to me and snickered, "That was just a lucky game."

"Sure. Luck," I replied and gave her a smile.

She brought her arms together and bumped them flipping me off. Everyone laughed.

I got from the couch to clean up a bit and then went to say bye to the guys.

"Bye guys. Thanks for coming over," I said to them as Nick, Andrew and Joe got into the elevator.

"Thanks, Edward," Andrew said.

"Luke, are you coming, man?" Nick asked.

"I'll catch up to you guys. I wanted to talk to Edward about something," Luke replied.

I stepped out into the hallway and closed the door slightly behind me. I knew this wasn't good. He was going to ask me about Bella.

"You never said anything that Bella was hot. Do you think she'd go out with me?" Luke asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? I think she's interested."

_Does he want Max and Maggie to kill him? _

"Just because she talks to you about the Lakers doesn't mean she's interested."

"Well, you have to set her up on a blind date. Hook it up for me."

I shook my head no. That was never going to happen.

"Come on, Edward. You get to choose for her. Help me out, man!"

"I don't know. Let me think about it," I replied. He was pissing me off.

"She's cute. You've been holding out on us."

_No shit! That's why I haven't told you about her because I knew guys like you would be all over her. _

"Yeah, well, I better get back inside to help clean up," I said hoping he would get the clue to leave.

"Okay, but don't forget. Oh and send me her phone number when you get a chance." _Yeah, right, jackass! _

I stepped back inside and slammed the door shut.

"Whoa. What was that about?" Alice asked.

"Nothing," I sneered walking over to Emmett and Jasper who were playing with Max and Maggie.

"Eddie-kins, looks like you have some competition," Emmett teased.

"Shut it, Em!" I hissed.

"Sheesh, someone's in a bad mood," Jasper said.

What the hell was I going to do? I had to find a blind date for Bella and there was no way I was setting her up with Luke.

I knew I was jealous. And I knew I had to do something about my feelings and soon.

* * *

**A/N: Jealous Edward. Gotta love him! Who is he going to set her up with? I wonder ... **

**Did you like the reference to Friends? I love that gesture they do in the show. It makes me crack up laughing each time I see it. **

**And for the record, I'm actually not a Lakers fan. My husband is. I hate the Lakers and Kobe and I'm from LA but I had to pick a team that Bella would be loyal to. So I mainly copied the stuff my husband yells at the TV screen when the Lakers play. And Kwame Brown is no longer on the Lakers but I had to put him in here. Just for fun since my husband really hated him.**

**Please Review and Thanks for Reading! **


	21. Decisions

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been forever. I feel horrible and I completely apologize. I don't know if there is anyone reading this story but I vow to finish it. This one has sort of taken a back burner since I've been working on my other stories and updating when I can. My goal is to finish this one soon since I have a few more chapters left. So I cranked out this chapter and I'm almost done with the next one, which means that I will be posting sooner rather than later! **

**And I decided to take a different approach to writing this swapping back and forth between BPOV and EPOV. I know this entire story is just disorganized but it's my first fic! I might go back and do a re-write for this but maybe after I'm done with all my stories, whenever that will be!**

**Thanks again to my betas, An End Has a Start and SavageWoman for helping me with this story! You both are the best!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 21 – Decisions**

**EPOV**

I drummed my fingers on my desk lost in thought… I was sitting in my office and couldn't get my mind off what had happened during game night.

First, Luke and his incessant flirting with Bella ticked me off, and second, I didn't know what was I going to do about Bella's blind date.

The rules were that I had to pick someone for her to go with. There was no way I was going to pick Luke. I wanted to keep him as far away from Bella as possible. He'd already sent me an email and a text message this morning asking for Bella's phone number. I had yet to reply. My excuse was that I was too busy with work. Not like I did any work at all this morning as I was too caught up in my thoughts.

I looked through my cell phone trying to find a single guy that I thought would be decent enough to take my Bella out.

_Wait… my Bella? Where did that come from? _

I shook my head from the sudden thoughts of entitlement. I had no right to be possessive over Bella. She wasn't mine – yet.

I sighed trying to figure out how to get myself out of this mess and make it work to my benefit. I picked up my cell phone again and started scrolling through the different names.

_Scott? No. Too massive._

_Mark? No. Too short._

_Brian? No. Too vulgar._

_Jack? No. Too much competition. _

I shook my head again realizing I was sizing up everyone like they were competition. My attempts to keep Bella all to myself were starting to become pathetic. Would she even want be with me? She seemed to be warming up to me more and more and I couldn't help but smile at our newfound interactions. It was definitely a lot better than the constant arguing.

A monotone voice blasted through the intercom on my office phone bringing me out of my thoughts. "Mr. Cullen, your sister, Alice, is on line one for you," Jane said.

Jane was my secretary. Like Jasper, I had hired a woman that was also close to retirement age. I had been through a number of secretaries and none would focus on the job at hand aside from Jane. She was the best secretary that I ever had. She was also like a grandmother but a completely monotone grandmother. She never expressed any emotion at work.

"Thanks Jane, please patch her through," I stated as my phone rang signaling that Alice was on the line waiting for me.

"Yes, Alice?" I said as I picked up the phone.

"_Did you decide on whom to pick for Bella's blind date?" _she chirped into the phone.

I wasn't going to admit that I had sat at my desk all morning wondering what to do.

"What about Lewis?" I asked. Why couldn't I pick him? At least I knew there wouldn't be a threat and Bella would enjoy her date with her assistant.

"_What about Lewis?" _Alice mocked.

"_You know that he doesn't count, Edward. That wouldn't be fair."_

"And why does this have to be fair? You said it was a blind date but you didn't say if the guy had to be straight or gay," I pointed out.

"_Damn, lawyer! Stop being so technical! It's not like we wrote this out on paper with terms and conditions. It's a general agreement that we all agreed to and the guy has to be straight. No cheating with gay guys," _Alice ordered.

I sighed. "I can't think of anyone so she doesn't have to go on a date," I said hoping to protect the situation.

"_Nice try, Edward. What about your friend, Jack? He's cute and he'd be perfect,"_ Alice said as I clenched my fists.

"Oh, I think he has a girlfriend now," I lied trying to divert the subject.

"_Okay, what about Brian? He's cute too,"_ Alice asked.

"No, he's talks too much and sometimes he says inappropriate things around girls," I answered.

"_Oh yeah, I remember now. He likes to talk loudly about his bathroom habits. Eww. NO!!"_ Alice yelled into the phone and I could practically see her face curl up in disgust.

After going through a list of guys, Alice finally sighed and said, _"I give up! Edward, every guy you named is either not good enough for Bella or not worthy enough for Bella or has a girlfriend. Why don't you just take her out then?" _

I froze thinking about this. It was a chance for me to do it and not have to worry about Bella going with anyone else. I'd also get my chance to actually go on a date with Bella even though I didn't technically ask her. It was a win-win situation for me.

"Would that be an option?" I asked casually trying not to let Alice in on my feelings toward Bella. She would have a field day with that.

"_Well, yeah. You are single and straight, the last time I checked, and she needs a date. I'd say it works,_" she said trying to sound calm but I could tell she was holding her excitement back. She paused for a moment waiting for my response.

"Okay, I think I'm going to do it then," I said confidently only to be greeted with screaming and squealing on the other end.

"Alice?" I asked into the phone.

"_OH MY GOD, EDWARD!! FINALLY!" _she screamed.

"Can you calm down? What's going on?" I asked wondering if I'd just missed the boat or something. And what did she mean by finally?

"_You and Bella! I can't wait! You have to take her to a nice restaurant and we can dress her up and…," _she started rambling and I lost focus as to what she was talking about.

"Alice, Alice… calm down! I think I can manage figuring out where to take her. And what do you mean by finally?" I said.

"_Oh, um, nothing. I'm sure you know what to do, Edward. Okay, I have to go into meeting now, talk to you later, bye!"_ she said quickly and hung up the phone.

That was odd to say the least. Now I just had to figure out how to surprise Bella. I'm sure she would be surprised knowing it was me taking her out and not one of my friends. But how was I going to go about this without her getting upset? Would she be upset?

* * *

**BPOV**

"So Bella, who do you think Edward is going to set you up with?" Lewis asked me for what seemed like the fourth time today. He came in skipping on clouds when I walked in this morning. You'd think he was the one being setup.

"I have no idea, Lewis," I responded slightly peeved. I didn't like being annoyed with Lewis but he was aggravating me today with his sly smirks and glances making me suspect he was hiding something from me.

"Don't you have a guess at all?" he asked bouncing up and down in his seat in front of my desk.

I pretended to ignore his giddiness while typing away on my keyboard and staring at my computer screen in front of me.

"I seriously have no idea. I just hope it's not Luke, that guy seemed a little too pushy for me," I mumbled while continuing to work.

"Oh yeah, I heard about Max and Maggie laying it on to him. I wish I could've been there to see Edward save you…," he sighed. I turned to look at him and his eyes were glazed over and he looked like he was daydreaming.

I waved my hand in front of his face and said, "Lewis, earth to Lewis… what are you thinking about?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and blushed red looking down to the floor. "Oh, um, it's nothing."

Sure, it was nothing. I knew he was thinking dirty thoughts about Edward and it made me laugh out loud. Someone had a huge crush.

"Well, you know you can come home with me today and see him in action, Lewis," I teased and rolled with laughter.

"Isabella Marie Swan, stop laughing at me!" Lewis yelled but I hold back the laughter as tears streamed down my face. I had caught him in one of his fantasies and I was not going to stop teasing him about it.

After I finally calmed down, Lewis asked, "What would you do if say, Edward was your date?"

He threw his name out there and looked at me curiously. I wasn't sure what he was getting at but the way he asked me made me wonder. I stopped to think for a moment before everything became clear.

"You guys rigged it!" I shouted and stood up from desk pointing at Lewis. His eyes went wide in shock or it might've been out of fear.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" Lewis asked keeping a straight face.

"Oh, don't you give me that face. I am calling Rose and Alice now!" I shouted and picked up my phone. Lewis flew across my desk and swatted my hand away to cover the phone.

"NO! Rose and Alice would kill me! They said they would take away my Louis Vuitton wallet if I said anything. Please, Bella!" he shrieked.

I crossed my arms against my chest. "Well, you better tell me everything now or the LV is gone!"

"Okay, okay," Lewis huffed. He explained that they did setup the blind date but that they really didn't know who Edward would choose. They were hoping he would go as the blind date but they weren't planning to push his decision and wanted him to make up his own mind.

"What? Why would Edward want to be my blind date?" I asked with a knot forming in my stomach. I had hoped he wanted to take me out but not in this way. I didn't want him to be forced into it.

"Because Bella, it's obvious he feels something for you. I can't believe you can't see it," Lewis retorted.

"And how would you know, Mr. Know It All? You only met him for like ten seconds," I countered.

"I saw the way he was looking at you, Bella and believe me, that man has feelings for you. Whether you want to admit it or not. I may be gay but I know men and I know the way they look at women. He is infatuated," he said matter-of- factly.

"Plus, the fact that Rose and Alice tell me everything, I do know all," he said with a smug smile that spread across his face.

"I still can't believe you guys set this up! You're practically forcing him into this decision. What if he doesn't want to take me out?" I argued.

"We are not forcing him into a decision. He is free to pick whomever he wants. He's not bound to it. It's only a bet. And you'll know how he really feels if he does pick someone else. But if he goes himself then he's interested. It's like a test, Bella. Although you don't have to do anything. He's not being forced into it and it's a decision left for him to make. We all just want to know the answer," Lewis squealed.

Deep down inside, I was curious about the answer too. Would Edward want to go out with me? I sat there comparing myself to all of the other girls that he was ever interested in and I was the polar opposite. From what I knew, he dated tall, thin, blonde women who looded like models. I was short, albeit thin, but as dark as a brunette as can be and nothing like a model in any way.

The nagging question sat in my head for the rest of the day and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen. I really wished it was Edward, but I didn't want to be completely disappointed if it wasn't him. When I got home that night, Edward was working late so I cooked dinner and cuddled up on the couch to watch _Heroes_.

After a few minutes, I saw Maggie get up from her dog bed and walked over to me sighing. She plopped down next to me and sidled up to my legs. Max eyed us curiously and eventually came over as well. They looked at me sadly and I couldn't help but wonder if they knew what was bothering me. I scratched behind their ears and gave them kisses on their heads. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here in the first place and for that I was thankful.

Eventually, I grew tired. I cleaned up the kitchen leaving leftovers again for Edward and a post it note on his door before going to bed.

The next morning, I woke up and got dressed for work. I opened my door and saw a post it note flutter to the ground. It was quiet so I think Edward left early in the morning to go to work. I picked up the note and read it out loud.

_Bella _

_Can you meet on Friday at Nobu at seven for your blind date? I have someone in mind. If you can't make it, let me know and I'll make re-arrangements. Thanks for the leftovers!_

_Edward_

My heart fell into my stomach. He had someone in mind for me, which meant that he made his decision and it wasn't going to be him. I had prepared myself for that possible outcome but I didn't expect it to bother me so much. Maybe I did like him more than I thought. Who would've thought this would ever happen?

I wasn't sure how long I stood there but Maggie nudged my knee and brought me out of my thoughts. She looked up at me with a curious glance with her tongue lopped to the side. She wanted to know what was wrong. I patted her on the head and said everything was fine.

As I got into the elevator, I pushed the thoughts aside, texted him that Friday was fine and went off to work. I hoped that the news wouldn't be that apparent on my face but Lewis knew something was wrong the minute I entered my office.

"What's wrong, Bells?" he asked. His voice laced with concern.

"Nothing," I replied as I slumped into my desk chair and turned my attention to my computer screen. I didn't want Lewis to see how disappointed I was.

"Bella, I know that something is wrong. What happened? Did you and Edward get into a fight?" he asked.

"No. It's nothing like that. In fact, I don't even know why it's bothering me so much," I sighed. I didn't want to show Lewis but I couldn't stop my fingers from going into my purse and pulling out Edward's post it note.

He read the note and his eyes grew wide but he didn't seem surprised. "Bella, that doesn't mean anything."

"Lewis, he said he has someone in mind for me. Obviously, it means that he isn't going," I sighed.

"Bella, will you stop being such a Debbie Downer! Just show up Friday and I'm sure everything will go according to plan," he said as if he knew something I didn't.

I wasn't sure what it was but something made me feel anxious about Friday and I only wished it would come sooner.

* * *

**EPOV**

I came home late last night after work and was greeted by Max and Maggie who were excited to see me. I hated having to work long nights but this time we were working on a large case for Columbia Records. I finished the leftovers from the meal Bella and sat at my desk for the rest of the night wondering how to approach Bella regarding the blind date. You'd think I was really asking her out even though this was sort of a chicken shit way to do it.

I thought the best way was through a post it note. Yeah, I know it's not the ideal way but I was going to be busy this week and it was better than emailing her or texting her about it. I must've gone through fifty drafts before I finalized what I was going to write. Max and Maggie crawled in my room watching me pace back and forth as I threw my crumpled up notes into the nearby trash bin. They would sigh each time I threw a piece of paper into the basket as if I was playing basketball.

Eventually, I came up with something subtle and generic. I didn't want to give away that I was going to be the one taking her out because I really didn't want her to get mad. It was always best to see her get mad later. She would get over it sooner rather than have her anticipate being mad about it all week.

I wasn't even sure she would be mad but with Bella I was never for sure about anything. She was so hard to read.

The next morning I got up early and taped the message to her door before leaving for work. I got to my office and made sure to have Jane help me schedule Friday night's dinner. She was happy that I was going to go on a date with Bella muttering something about Bella being the right girl for me. Apparently, Bella and Jane bonded whenever she tried to call my office. It seemed that Jane had a soft spot for Bella and knew that we were roommates.

After a few minutes, Jane's voice came over the intercom stating that Luke was here to see me.

_What was he doing here? _

I told Jane to let him into my office as I continued to delve deeper into the paperwork that shrouded my desk.

"Hey, Edward. I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by," he said walking into my office and sitting down in the chair across from me. Yeah, right. His office was thirty blocks away from here. He wanted something from me but I wasn't going to give it to him.

"Hey, Luke. What's going on?" I tried my best to keep my cool demeanor but he was getting on my nerves.

"I know you're busy with work," he said as he wide-eyed the monstrous piles of paper stacks.

"I'll be quick. I just wanted to get Bella's phone number and you haven't responded. I know you still have to set her up on a blind date or do you plan to keep her all to yourself?" he said giving me an arrogant smirk.

"Yeah, I've been busy. Listen, I have to go. I have a meeting to catch. I'll send it to you later," I said getting up from my desk, grabbing a stack of papers and my blackberry. He got up from his seat and I started pushing him out the door.

"I'll see you later," I said as I walked out toward the conference room hoping he would leave.

"Alright, see you later, Edward. You promise now, right?" he said nodding at me.

"Yeah, sure," I said as I pushed open the conference room door and shut it behind me.

Something was bothering me about the way he kept insisting on gettting Bella's phone number. You'd think he'd get the clue. I would just have to come out and say something to him. The best timing would be after the blind date since I'd know more of what Bella was thinking. That way it would be more concrete and he would just back off.

* * *

**BPOV**

It was Friday and I was starting to get nervous. I was sitting at my desk and wondering what would happen tonight. All week, Rose, Alice and Lewis were being cryptic about tonight's dinner, making me feel that they knew more than they let on. It just made me more apprehensive about the whole situation. Maybe this wasn't a good idea and I should bow out now. I was tempted to text Edward about backing out but he would probably find a way to laugh at me about it and I couldn't give him that satisfaction.

I was convinced that my date was going to be Luke. I didn't tell anyone my assumption, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach that what happened Tuesday night was an indication. I received a random number calling my cell phone. I never picked up numbers that weren't familiar to me so I let it go straight to voicemail. Sure enough, it was Luke asking me to give him a call sometime. He sounded nice but I wasn't interested. Soon after, he sent me a text. Good God, it was only a few minutes. This guy seemed so anxious and if I had liked him, I probably would've been excited but since I didn't, it made me cautious. I didn't call him back but I did answer his texts with short responses hoping he would get the clue that I wasn't interested. That didn't happen. Instead he sent me texts for the rest of the week and made inferences like he knew where I was going to be on Friday. It was strange.

Would Edward really set me up on a date with him? Did he think Luke was someone I would like? If that was the case, he really didn't know me at all and I became slightly more agitated by his choice. I've been living with him for what seems like months now and we have grown closer, so he should know what I liked and disliked. Luke had a number of qualities I disliked and I couldn't stand being around. Was Edward that dense? He couldn't be. I probably would've berated him for it if we were back to being old Bella and Edward, but this was new Bella and Edward so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Alice came into my office at six with my date outfit making me change as she helped touch up my hair and makeup. She could sense my hesitation and kept telling me not to worry.

"Bella, what's wrong? Why do you keep fidgeting? Something's up," she demanded. She knew me all too well.

"I think he picked Luke as my date," I groaned.

"Why do you think that?" she asked as her face curled up with confusion.

"He's been texting me all week and he sent me a puzzling one last night saying something about me enjoying my sushi tonight. I mean, how would he even know where I was going for dinner unless it was with _him_?" I said.

The look on Alice's face turned into shock and then anger. Why was she mad?

"Bella, what else has he been texting you? How did he even get your number?" she shrieked.

"I don't know. I assumed that Edward gave it to him. He is Edward's friend. He called me on Tuesday night and I started getting texts from him all week. It's weird," I said and pulled out my cell phone handing it to Alice to show her the text messages.

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she was speechless for once.

"Alice, Alice… are you there?" I said.

"I can't believe that he has been texting you," she muttered under her breath just barely loud enough for me to hear.

"Why? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing," she said and gave me a big smile. She completely changed her mood causing me to wonder what was going on.

"You are going to have a fabulous time tonight! And it's not him!" she reassured me.

I still wasn't sure if Alice knew who my date was. Did Edward tell her who it was? Something was yelling warning signs at me. I grabbed my black wool overcoat and my black Chanel purse and headed out of my office. Alice had picked out a pair of tight black jeans and black Jimmy Choo boots for me to wear with a dark purple silk blouse. It was going to be freezing outside, but according to Alice in the name of fashion, so we had to suffer the consequences.

Once we got down to the lobby, she grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the building as quickly as possible. We walked outside and she hastily hailed a cab for me practically shoving me inside and yelling at the cab driver telling me where to go. It was like she was trying to get rid of me and I couldn't figure out why. After the cab took off from the curb, I briefly turned around to wave bye to her, but she was walking away in the opposite direction with her cell phone pressed closely to her ear.

_What was going on?_

_

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_

**A/N: Alright so the next chapter is the Blind Date! And it's a good one! I'm getting excited for it! **

**And does anyone recognize Edward's friends names in this story? I used the same character names from my other story, Ridge Crest Prep. No relation between stories but I was at a blank with coming up with male names. **

**Please Review and Thanks for Reading (those of you who are still with this story, THANK YOU!)**


	22. Blind Date

**A/N: Lucky for you, I was writing the last chapter and this one at the same time. So here is another update for you in less than a month! And it's a long chapter! Yippee!  
**

**Thanks again to my wonderful betas, An End Has a Start and SavageWoman for helping me with this story! You both are the best!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 22 – Blind Date**

**BPOV**

I arrived at Nobu about thirty minutes early and figured I would wait at the bar for my date. It had rained heavily all day and I hoped that it wouldn't make my date late. Traffic was bad but luckily, my taxi driver knew a few short cuts.

I didn't even know how to find my date. I assumed that Edward told him what I looked like, or maybe Alice hinted at what I was wearing. That could be why she was on the phone as she frantically tried to get me to leave earlier. Her bizarre behavior was making me curious about what was going on.

I walked up to the bar and ordered a pineapple martini. As I watched the bartender mix drinks, I noticed the restaurant started to fill up as the usual Friday night dinner crowds descended.

I glanced at my watch - fifteen minutes to seven. I felt a tap on my shoulder and held my breath in anticipation of whom my dinner date was. I slowly turned in my seat and my brown eyes met blue ones. I looked up to see a cute boyish face with blonde hair. It was Luke.

I put on a fake smile to act surprised to see him there even though I wasn't particularly happy about it. This confirmation of my week long suspicions just made me more disappointed and upset that Edward would pick someone like him for me. But I'd be lying to myself if I didn't say I was more upset with the fact that it wasn't Edward standing in front of me. He really didn't want to go on a date with me and this sort of sealed the deal as Lewis liked to call it.

_Well, at least be glad he didn't pick a guy with moobs! _

"Bella!" Luke exclaimed giving me a big smile. My stomach lurched at the thought that he was excited about this dinner when I clearly wasn't.

"Luke!" I responded faking the surprise in my voice.

All hope that maybe he wasn't here for our date and just so happened to be here out of coincidence got nipped in the bud as soon as he spoke. "So are you surprised that it was me?"

"Well, I can honestly say that I had a feeling it was you," I said putting on the fake smile again.

"Really? Then Edward must not be good at keeping secrets. Anyhow, it's been so crazy at work for me," he said quickly before launching into a discussion about himself and his workday without even asking me one question. I sat there trying to be attentive and, to be honest, I was surprised I hadn't dozed off. As I listened to him drone on, I realized that Luke was slightly self-absorbed. Okay, maybe more than slightly. Even his text messages over the last couple of days supported my observation. That was a huge turnoff for me and I silently prayed that this date would end quickly.

He cracked a joke that wasn't funny and from then on, I knew I was in for a horrible night. I almost contemplated calling Alice to have her get me out of this so I could make an excuse to go home early, though Edward would probably be upset that I ditched his friend. I guess I would have to suck it up and give Edward hell for it later. And there would be hell. I was not going to let Edward off the hook for this one. Old Bella was back and was ready to rip it to him.

I saw that Luke started fidgeting and looking nervous. He quickly looked down at his watch.

"So, um, are you ready to go?" he asked.

"But I thought we're eating here?" I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"No, I wanted to meet you here but I have a reservation for us at another restaurant four blocks away. Are you ready to go now?" The urgency in his voice seemed misplaced.

_Why the rush? _

I glanced outside and saw that it was raining heavily.

"It's pouring outside, have you not seen it? What's wrong with eating here?" I asked. He did pick the place. Why was he acting so strange?

"I don't like the food here. Can we head on out now?" he continued to press.

_God, did he have to be so pushy? _

"I've heard amazing things about the food here. What don't you like about it?" I had a feeling he wasn't telling me everything and dishonesty was a horrible way to start a date.

"I just… I had food poisoning here before and I would rather not get sick again. Can we just please go?" He almost sounded whiny and it turned me off even more.

I wasn't buying the food poisoning crap. He was definitely lying now and that pissed me off. This whole situation seemed weird to begin with and it made me upset.

He grabbed my wrist and started pulling me away from the bar. I hesitated slightly not liking his actions. He sensed my uncertainty and yanked me harder while tightening his grip. That was it; I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't care less if he was Edward's friend. This guy was a jerk!

I stopped walking and pulled my arm away from his hold. He turned to look at me stunned by my reaction. Did he think I was just going to follow him?

"What the hell is wrong with you? I don't appreciate you touching me like that! In fact, I'm not going anywhere with you!" I yelled rubbing my wrist from the pain. Onlookers gathered around us wondering what was happening.

"I'm sorry, Bella but we have to go!" he said making a move to grab me again. Was he crazy? Like I would go anywhere with this lunatic. I pulled my arm out of his reach and was about to give him a piece of my mind when someone intervened on my behalf.

"Don't touch her again!" a loud voice demanded.

I whipped around to see who yelled at him and found myself face to face with an angry Edward. Fury raged in his eyes and I'd never seen him this mad before. Even when we argued, he never got this upset. I almost wanted to cower in a corner and hide.

Within a few quick strides, Edward was standing between Luke and me. He pulled me behind him as if he was trying to protect me.

"Luke, you need to leave now. She's not going anywhere with you," Edward growled.

"Oh, I think she has a choice. Why don't we ask her?" Luke responded trying to get a look at me around Edward's tall frame that was blocking me from his view.

"So Bella, what do you say?" Luke leered at me.

I wanted to flip him the bird and curse like a sailor, but we were in public and drawing a rather large crowd with the spectacle we were creating.

"Stay away from me! And don't text me or talk to me ever again, jackass!" I yelled while attempting to glare at him from where I was standing.

Luke looked shocked at my reaction but his surprise quickly turned into an arrogant smirk that I wanted to rip right off his smug face.

"Fine, but know that you're missing out on possibly the best thing to ever happen to you," he said haughtily and winked at me before walking out of the restaurant. I tried to push passed Edward in an attempt to grab Luke and wring his neck, but Edward held me back.

I stopped struggling against Edward and turned to face him. My anger was at its peak, and because Luke walked away before I could say anything, Edward was the next to feel my wrath. I was angry with him for putting me in this position.

"You!" I shouted and pointed at him.

"Me?" Edward asked in confusion.

"Yes, _you_ are the reason why this happened to me in the first place!" I shouted and walked toward the cloakroom to grab my coat. It was pouring outside and I didn't have any umbrella, but I didn't care. I wanted to get home as soon as possible. Not that I could avoid him by going home, but I could at least hole up in my room.

I threw on my coat and started to march toward the door. "Bella, wait!" Edward caught up to me and grabbed my arm turning me around to face him. I was so angry. He may have saved me from Luke but I could've handled that on my own. Why was he even here - to laugh at me on my horrible date with Luke? Did he think this was some kind of sick joke? All my anger welled up inside with a bevy of different thoughts running through my head. I thought we were past the hatred and the fighting but apparently, I was wrong.

"You know what? I don't have anything to say to you," I barked and yanked my arm out of his grasp. He cringed slightly at my reaction and I stormed out of the restaurant.

I walked toward the end of the block hoping to catch a taxi but the rain was coming down even harder. I cursed myself for not bringing an umbrella with me.

I tried flagging down another taxi but it seemed as if all of them were unavailable. As I gripped my arms across my chest hugging myself for warmth, I tried my best to find something available. The pouring rain soaked my hair and drenched my coat . On top of that, I was freezing to the bone. After a minute or so, I felt something shield me from the pelting raindrops and I looked up to see a giant black umbrella over my head.

"Bella, it's cold and wet. Let's go back inside. You're going to get sick." Edward's voice was full of concern as he stood by my side. But I refused to look at him because if I did, I wasn't sure if I could prevent myself from slapping him in the face.

"And why do you care? I was supposed to be having dinner with someone that _you, _by the way, set up with me. But he turned out to be the date from hell! Thanks a lot." I sneered refusing to look at him. "Where the hell's a taxi when you need one?" I muttered as I tried to flag down every taxi that passed us by.

When he didn't respond, I continued to seethe with my little diatribe, "You know, I thought you knew me by now – with us living together and spending time together. But it's apparent that you don't! And after tonight's little fiasco, I think you set this up on purpose to inflict some sort of horrible revenge on me."

"Wait, what? You think I set you up with Luke as revenge?" he said and I could tell his rage was starting to boil.

"Why else would he start calling and texting me this week, hinting about eating here on Friday night. So hello, it's obvious that you picked him. God only knows why, what with him being _your_ friend and all. A Class A Jerk! Then, to top it off, you just happen to show up here at the same time. Did you come to see the show?" I spat.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Edward close his eyes and pinch the bridge of nose. He always did when he was trying to calm down. I was familiar with this behavior from all of our past arguments.

"Bella, please. Can you please look at me and let me explain?" he begged and tugged on my arm that was tightly crossed against my chest.

I knew the old me would've ignored him and walked away. Hell, I probably would've packed up my things and moved out without hearing his side. The old me would have jumped to conclusions without getting the whole story, thinking that this could never work. A friendship… a relationship… anything… because we just were not meant to be. I knew that I would've never sat down to listen to his explanations.

That was the old Bella and I was not going to give into that anymore. I had to let him explain. I was done with the miscommunication and the wrong conclusions to everything. I _needed_ him to explain.

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. I closed my eyes and turned to him. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the pain etched on his face; he looked sad. I knew immediately that I, of course, had the wrong story and wanted to kick myself in the ass for getting upset.

"I'm listening," I muttered guiltily under my breath.

"Bella, I didn't set you up with Luke. I never wanted you to go out with Luke. I only found out about him when I saw him grabbing onto you at the bar. I had no idea he was in contact with you. Alice told me that as soon as you left work. I rushed down here as soon as possible to get to you. I had no idea he would be here tonight. He's been bothering me since Saturday for your phone number, but I wouldn't give it to him. And then he showed up here. I'm still wondering how he even got your number and how he knew about tonight," Edward explained. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"So you didn't set me up with Luke?" I frowned in confusion.

"No. I know he's a jerk when it comes to women and that's why I didn't set you up with him," he grumbled.

"But I thought you two were friends?" I posed.

"I _was_ friends with him. We were never close friends and now we'll never be friends again after the way he treated you. I'm so sorry, Bella," Edward said.

I listened to his words and it literally hit me like a stone wall. I had been so stupid for jumping to my own conclusions.

I stood there with my mouth open in shock. I closed it and tried to find a way to say something. I just hoped that he would forgive me for being foolish.

"Edward, I should be the one apologizing. I had no idea. I didn't know. I honestly thought that you had set me up with Luke. It made complete sense to me with the calls, the texts, and his hints. Then he showed up here. I was wondering why he kept pushing me to leave. I didn't understand it but now it all makes sense. I'm so sorry for yelling at you." I felt terrible about my accusations.

"It's all water under the bridge now. Don't worry about it. As long as we're okay now… you are okay, right?" he asked with apprehension while giving me a warm smile.

I slapped my hand to my forehead. "God, I feel so stupid. I am so sorry. I feel so horrible for thinking that you had a part in this. I should've known better," I said biting my lip and looking down at the ground. I was disappointed in myself. Why didn't I trust him? Why was it so easy to think that this was all a joke?

"Bella, it's fine. I would've thought the same thing if I were in your shoes. We're still working at becoming friends and I think we're still learning about each other. We missed out on a lot of years together, so now we just have to work on our trust," he said and shrugged his shoulders.

He was right. There was a long pause before he started talking again.

"Can we go home now? It's getting cold and you're completely drenched."

"Yeah, let's go home," I replied giving him a smile that he returned.

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**EPOV**

Alice had called to tell me that Luke was in contact with Bella. Then she demanded to know if I gave him Bella's number. Of course, I would never do that, but it made me wonder who did. Then Alice told me that she had a strange suspicion that Luke was going to be at Nobu tonight.

I questioned how that could even happen since he had no idea about the date. Or did he? Either way, I didn't want to risk it. And because I always trusted Alice and her instincts, I tried to leave my office as soon as I could. Getting stopped to sign a few documents as I was leaving didn't help matters . Anxious to leave, I scrawled my signature on the papers and all but ran out the door.

As I stepped into Nobu, my familiar blonde-haired _friend_ was standing at the bar yanking someone by the arm. It didn't take long for me to realize that it was Bella. She looked upset and it was clear that she didn't want to go with him. From the way she cradled her wrist after pulling away from Luke's grip, it appeared as though he'd hurt her.

_Why was I even friends with this douche? _

A red haze clouded my eyes, and I was close to ripping his head off for hurting her.

My angry yell garnered people's attention, but I couldn't care less. He was about to hurt my Bella.

The asshat eventually left and I looked at Bella with concern. Rage filled her eyes and a frown graced her lovely face.

She pushed me away, clearly upset . It didn't dawn on me that her anger was directed at me until she opened her mouth. I couldn't figure out why until I realized what this looked like to her. Luke had crashed my date and she thought that I had set him up with her. I knew I was in deep shit and had to get out of it fast.

Bella wouldn't let me explain as she trudged out of the restaurant. It was raining like cats and dogs outside and she didn't have an umbrella. I quickly grabbed my things from the cloakroom and followed her outside. She was frantically trying to wave down a taxi but none was available.

I walked up to her, shielding her from the elements with my umbrella and told her to go back inside. I was cold and I could only imagine what she must have felt being drenched with rain. Stubborn Bella was back and didn't want to hear any of my explanations. For a moment, I feared we were slipping back into our old habits, reverting to the way our relationship was before we started to get along so well. I didn't want that to happen.

She questioned our friendship, which made me cringe. I did know her better than she thought, but Luke's interference made a mess of this whole situation. It wasn't until she accused me of setting her up with Luke out of revenge that I got upset. Why would she think that? Did she not trust me?

But we were still working on our friendship and our level of trust. I understood this and I hoped that she would too.

Fortunately, she was able to calm down enough to listen to my explanation. I was thankful that she took the time to hear my side of the story and we apologized to each other. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders knowing that we were back to normal.

I convinced her to go home and we stood there for a few more minutes trying to hail a cab. After a moment, she turned to me and asked, "Edward, if Luke wasn't my date, who was?"

I wanted to tell her it was me. But was now the right time? I knew I owed it to her to tell her after such a crazy night. So I looked down at her. Pleading for understanding, my eyes studied hers. Just as I opened my mouth to tell her the truth, a bus passed by rolling over a large puddle of water that had gathered by the curb.

**SPLASH! **

A giant wave of sub-zero water slammed into us.

"GAH!" we both screeched in unison jumping from the feel of the icy water.

I was completely soaked from head to toe. We stood there for a moment, taken aback. I was still in shock, not registering what was happening around me. Bella's laughter snapped me out of my daze. Then she looked at me and started laughing harder while clutching her stomach with tears of amusement joining the rainwater still rolling down her cheeks.

I realized how ridiculous we must've looked and I couldn't help but join in with her. I'm sure we looked like two crazies who were laughing at nothing and standing on a busy corner in New York. I wouldn't be surprised if someone started throwing money at us.

Eventually, our laughter died down and we finally caught a cab home. It was silent most of the ride back to our apartment and a peaceful hum fell between us.

Once we arrived home, Max and Maggie greeted us, giving us a curious look as we crossed the apartment and stepped into our rooms to change out of our wet clothes. Their eyes bounced back and forth between the two of us. With their tongues hanging out the side of their mouths and their tails wagging, it was almost as if they were laughing at us.

"Do you see those two?" I asked Bella as I stood in front of my room, opening up my door.

She turned and looked at Max and Maggie and threw her head back in a giggle.

"We do look like a couple of drowned rats!" she chimed. Then I heard her stomach growl loudly. She rubbed it and a bright red blush flooded her cheeks.

"You must be hungry. How about I order Chinese and have it delivered?" I asked.

"That'd be great. Thanks Edward," she said as she smiled and walked into her room closing the door behind her.

I thought about what I could do to make it up to her and came up with the perfect plan.

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**BPOV**

I was relieved that Edward and I were on good terms again. I slowly removed my wet clothes and decided to take a hot bath to warm up my cold numb body. I relaxed in the bathtub for a while until my skin started pruning.

I felt so exhausted from the day, that as soon as I finished drying my hair, I changed into a pair of grey sweatpants and a long sleeved navy blue shirt before flopping onto my bed. I thought I would take a few minutes to rest my eyes.

It wasn't until I heard a soft knock on my door that I slowly fluttered my eyes open.

_What time was it? _

I pulled my head up and rubbed my eyes glancing at the clock – 9:37 pm.

"Bella," I heard Edward's voice whispering from the other side of my door. In a slight haze, I slowly got up from the bed and patted down my hair.

There was another soft knock as Edward called out my name again. I trudged to the door and opened it to find Edward wearing black sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were sleeping. The food came and I knew you were hungry," he said softly.

"No, it's okay. I fell asleep… but I'm starving!" I exclaimed as my stomach growled. I wrapped my arms around my stomach to stop the gurgling noise as Edward chuckled at me. He was blocking my doorway so I pushed him aside playfully to step outside of my room.

I looked around the living room and froze.

Although the lights were off, the room was alive with the dancing glow of candles flickering throughout the room. The window shades were up giving us an amazing view of the city. The coffee table was covered with a white tablecloth and two place settings. Max and Maggie were huddled by the couch licking their lips and moving their heads between Edward, me, and the food.

This was definitely more than a casual dinner with a roommate. What was going on?

Edward cleared his throat and I turned toward him with a raised eyebrow.

"What's all this?" I asked. I hoped he wasn't doing it because he felt bad for what happened.

"Well, you asked who your date was, and although this isn't the ideal situation to be in, I figured I had to make it to up to you. This isn't much since I didn't have a lot of time to put this together." He paused trying to gauge my reaction before he continued, "And I know you like to be comfortable, so I thought I would spruce up the place to make it more special. And I promise that I'll take you out for dinner next week as a rain check."

I was speechless. Was I awake?

I almost walked back to my room to look for my sleeping body to rouse myself. There was a long pause of silence and I could see that Edward was starting to shift uncomfortably. He was eyeing me and our dogs and he looked extremely nervous. Then Maggie barked bringing me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head and looked at Edward.

"So you were my date all along?" I asked in an almost whisper. I don't know why I didn't say it louder. It was almost as though if I said it out loud it wasn't going to be true.

He nodded silently. "Is that okay?" he said with slight concern in his voice.

Although I was jumping up and down on the inside, Edward obviously wasn't sure about what I was feeling. I decided to be bold. I grabbed his hand and looked into his deep green eyes.

"Yes, it's perfect." I smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. I could see the tension leave his body and he flashed me that crooked smile I adored.

Max started howling causing the both of us to laugh. We turned to look at him and Maggie who were staring at the food and us intently as drool dripped from their mouths.

"Edward, I think we have two very hungry dogs over there. We should eat before they eat our food," I said and laughed.

"Well then, let me take you to our table, my lady," he teased as he led me to the coffee table. I plopped down next to the coffee table as Edward did the same. Max and Maggie immediately came over and started nudging us, a clear sign that they wanted food.

"Luckily, I took care of their dinners," Edward said as he let go of my hand to reach under the tablecloth and pulled out two bowls filled with dog food. He set them on the floor next to us and we waited for both dogs to charge at the food.

Max and Maggie looked longingly at our food and then disgustingly back at their food. Then they looked at me and started to beg.

"No," I said sternly. It was apparent they didn't like my answer when they turned their attention to Edward and started to beg.

"No is no," Edward said shaking his head. Both of them sighed and huffed before looking at our food for a yearning moment and then walking over to their bowls to start eating.

We both laughed at our crazy dogs and started digging into our food.

"So how do you think Luke got my number and knew about the date?" I asked.

"That's a good question. I thought about it for a while. The only person I told about the date was Alice, which I'm sure leaked it to Rose, Emmett, and Jasper. But they wouldn't say anything and I doubt they would give your number to Luke. We all know about him and how he treats women," he stated.

"Which by the way, why are you even friends with that ass?" I questioned. I could see him cringe slightly.

"We _were_ friends. He was a nice guy and someone to hang out with. We were never close friends. Just one of the guys we watched sports with. He's horrible with women and thinks that he always has to have the upper hand. And he's full of himself," Edward answered.

"You can say that again," I huffed as Edward laughed.

"The only other person that had your information and knew about the date is Jane. I had her make the reservations for me." His voice trailed off as he lost himself deep in thought.

"There is no way that Jane would've said something, Edward. She's loyal to you. I mean, she practically treats you like her grandson," I defended hoping he wouldn't blame this on Jane. I knew deep down that it couldn't be her.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll ask her about it but I don't think it's Jane either. I'm really sorry for what happened, Bella," he sighed.

"Edward, this isn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Everything worked out the way it should have," I said with a smile.

He smiled in return and we went back to our meal. We started talking about the plan for Thanksgiving dinner with everyone. Then our conversation diverted to Christmas. Max and Maggie had finished their dinner and plopped down next to us. Max sidled up next to Edward and Maggie rested her head on my knee.

"What do you want for Christmas?" he asked.

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "You know this is probably really silly but I've always wanted a Christmas tree so that I can decorate it."

"A Christmas tree? Really?" he asked curiously.

I nodded happily and smiled at him while petting Maggie on the head. He laughed and said, "Why?"

"Well, before Esme became Santa Nazi… decorating the Christmas tree was always a family bonding experience for me," I said while Edward laughed knowing full well what I meant about his mom. She was obsessed with decorating for the holidays and always took charge of it. She even went so far as to take charge of it at my parents' house after I went to junior high.

I continued, "Since graduating college, the only time I got to decorate a tree was when I was home for the holidays and that was only if Esme hadn't already done it for us. I could never get a tree in my apartment or dorm because of building safety codes. So I've always wanted my own tree; one that I could decorate and call my own and not my parents."

I looked at him and saw that he was intently listening to me. I shook my head.

"I know it sounds stupid but I love Christmas and it's just something that I always wanted to start for my own tradition or when I have a family someday. And this year I'm not planning to go home for the holidays so I know I won't get to decorate a tree or be around a tree," I said sadly.

I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, so I quickly replied, "It's fine. It's been so long… God, I sound like such a downer. Sorry about that." I gave him a sheepish smile.

"No, no. I'm sorry that Esme had to ruin that experience for you," he said sincerely.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant. Esme never ruined anything for me. If anything while growing up, I was probably thankful that she took over since I was too busy with friends and boys. If she didn't decorate, we wouldn't have any decorations up in the house knowing Renee. So please don't think that Esme ruined anything for me. She really didn't," I pleaded.

"Okay, okay," Edward said rising up his hands in defeat.

We continued talking and laughing. Time flew by and it wasn't until I looked at the clock that I realized it was past midnight.

We quickly got up and cleaned the room. Edward insisted that I leave it for him to clean up, but when I put my foot down, he didn't argue. It was faster if we both cleaned it up together.

After a few minutes, everything was put away and I could feel the strain of the day weighing heavily on my shoulders. I was tired, and yet I didn't want the night to end.

"You're tired and you were soaked to the bone. You should get some rest so you don't get sick," Edward said.

I yawned and covered my mouth. That was a sign that it was time for bed. I reluctantly replied, "Yeah, I am pretty beat."

I walked toward my door as Edward followed me. It was funny because we lived together but yet being the gentleman that he was, he had to walk me to my bedroom door, literally.

I turned to look up at him as he looked down at me gazing intently into my eyes.

"Thank you Edward. I really enjoyed our date," I said.

He smiled brightly at me and leaned down toward my face. His sweet breath fanned across my skin and I wasn't sure if he was going to kiss me. I closed my eyes in anticipation for something and felt his lips brush lightly against my cheek.

A tingle surged through me and I could've sworn I would've started jumping up and down like a giddy schoolgirl if he hadn't been standing right in front of me.

I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with affection. "Good night, Edward," I said as I opened my door and stepped into my room.

"Good night, Bella," he said as he stepped away from the door.

I slowly closed my door watching him as he walked away wishing that something would happen between us. Maybe there was more to this than being roommates or a crush. Maybe I wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed, cuddle up next to him, and fall asleep in his arms. Or better yet, kiss the crap out of him before having my way with him. _Whoa! Where did that come from? _

I flung myself on my bed and groaned in frustration. If only…

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**A/N: Yay! Well, the blind date turned out bad but at least our Edward & Bella are finally getting somewhere right?! =) **

**Please Review and Thanks for Reading!  
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	23. First Date

**A/N: Thanks again to my wonderful betas, An End Has a Start and SavageWoman for helping me with this story! You both are the best!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related. Main characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and not me.**

**Chapter 23 – First Date**

**BPOV**

"Bella! That is so sweet!" Lewis chirped clasping his hands together while sitting in a chair across from my desk.

I was going over the disastrous blind date on Friday night along with the aftermath.

"But ugh, Luke, what a drag! I can't believe that guy! And Edward came to save you. He was your knight in shining armor," Lewis exclaimed with a far off look in his eyes.

I'd lost him again. It always happened whenever we got on the subject of Edward.

"Lewis!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face to get his attention before.

I continued, "Yes, Edward saved me. And yes, it _should_ have been him on that date, but now I'm left wondering what's going to happen next. We live together and he didn't say anything the entire weekend. What's going to happen now? How am I supposed to bring it up? Am I even the one that's supposed to bring it up or do I wait?"

I was clearly flustered. Never in a million years did I think this would ever happen. The old me would've looked at this day and laughed in my face that I, Bella Swan, would get flustered over Edward Cullen.

"You need to chill out sister. Hold on a sec…," Lewis said as he tapped the wireless headset that he was wearing.

"Bella Swan's office, how may I help you?" he chimed.

He paused for a moment and then jumped up out of his chair.

"REALLY? I'll be right there!" he yelled and practically ran out of my office like a bat out of hell.

I was getting used to Lewis's sporadic moments so instead of sitting there wondering what just happened, I continued working on my computer until I heard Lewis clear his throat.

"Lewis, I can't just stop working every time you come in here. I have to finish editing this story," I said while focusing on my monitor.

"Bella, you have a delivery," he said with a sense of urgency in his tone.

_A delivery? _

I turned to look at him and saw the most amazing floral arrangement of pink and white roses along with white hydrangeas set in a glass bubble bowl.

"That's for me?" I asked as Lewis walked into my office and placed the bowl down on my desk.

"Yes, silly! The card says Bella Swan! Now open it!"

He handed me the card. I stared at it for a few seconds not sure what I was waiting for. I hoped it was from a certain someone, I could admit that, but what if it wasn't? I didn't want to get my hopes up and have them get shattered.

"Well! Aren't you going to open it?" Lewis urged.

"What if it's from Luke?" I hissed.

"Oh, please, that douche-bag doesn't have a brain big enough to do something like this. Hurry up and open it!"

I slowly opened the card.

_Bella, _

_I'm sorry for what happened on Friday. _

_Rain check for this coming Friday? I promise things will go right this time. _

_Hope these flowers brightened up your day. _

_Edward_

"Oh," I gasped trying to hide the squeal that was at the tip of my tongue.

"OH! The most drop dead gorgeous man in this world sends you flowers and all you can say is OH!" Lewis railed.

"Okay, fine. Close the door!"

He swiftly complied.

I stood up and did a happy dance while squealing as Lewis came over and grabbed my hands jumping up and down and squealing as well. Hopefully, we wouldn't get in trouble for making too much noise in the office.

**

* * *

**

The rest of the week flew by in a blur. I didn't see Edward at all at the apartment. He was working late again as usual. Even though I was getting used to being alone with Max and Maggie, it was comforting and also calming to know that Edward came back at night after I went to bed and I wasn't completely alone.

I had to thank him for the flowers in person though I already called him and wrote him a note. I was almost giddy on Friday as I strolled out of my office. This time, I didn't need Alice to help me get ready even though she pestered me all morning.

I walked outside of my office to hail a cab. I gave the cab driver directions before he zoomed off to _Serendipity 3_. I was surprised that Edward picked one of my favorite spots.

I stepped out onto 60th street and walked into the bustling restaurant. My stomach was doing flips as I tried to calm myself. It was only Edward but I still felt nervous. I was also hoping that nothing would go wrong tonight. Last week was chaotic and I didn't want the same thing happening tonight.

I scanned the room to find Edward already waiting at a table tucked in the corner. I smiled to myself glad that he was there waiting for me. He was too busy looking at his blackberry and didn't notice me walk in. I quickly walked over to him shrugging out of my coat.

"Hey," I breathed as I sat down before he noticed me. He started to get up but frowned when he saw me sitting in front of him.

"I was supposed to get that for you," he protested.

"Get what?" I asked confused.

"Your chair, Bella. This is the part where I get to play the gentleman," he teased.

I laughed. "It's okay. You looked busy. Is everything okay at work?" I asked nodding my head toward the pocket where he stuffed his blackberry.

"Yeah, everything's fine. If I knew how much time this case would take up, I would've swapped cases with Emmett." He chuckled before his face grew serious.

"I'm sorry I haven't been at the apartment lately."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, it's fine. I have Max and Maggie to keep me company and really it's not a big deal." I waved him off before adding,

"Thank you for sending me those beautiful flowers."

"You've already thanked me for it. If you were going to this nice, I should've bought you flowers a long time ago!" he joked.

"Don't push your luck, buddy!" I threw him a smile, which he returned.

The server came over to hand us our menus. I glanced at it quickly and decided on what I was going to choose. After placing our order, we slipped into casual conversation.

It was amazing how easy things were between us – like there never was a rift in the first place, but rather the relationship of lifelong friends.

"So what do you think our moms are going to send us in their "care" packages?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "I have no idea but aren't we a little too old for care packages? I mean Renee used to send them to me back in college so I have no idea what gave her the urge to send me one now."

"Your guess is as good as mine. Esme stopped sending me things a long time ago. The only things she sends now are colorful chew toys or something cute for Max. You'd think I had a female dog with the things Mom sends me."

I laughed picturing Max wearing a pink bandana or sweater from Esme. That would be funny.

Our food arrived and we ate in comfortable silence. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about the rest of our date. Were we going to go back to the apartment and just call it a night? Or did he have something planned?

Just as we finished dinner, the server came back and Edward ordered a frozen hot chocolate for us to share.

"That is my absolute favorite! I tried it with George when he came out last," I admitted smiling.

And then my thoughts went back to when Edward first met George and then it dawned on me.

"Did you really think I was dating George?" I teased with a smirk. I would never let him live this down.

He looked slightly shocked at my question. "Yeah," he mumbled.

I started laughing loudly. "I can't believe it. That is just too funny. Me and George!"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, you thought that I still had feelings for Jessica Stanley." He cringed and made a face like he ate something sour.

I stopped laughing and pursed my lips together. He had a point there. Then we both burst out laughing at each other's stupidity.

We finished our dessert and he paid the bill. I didn't fight him this time. I thanked him for dinner and he told me to put on my coat and scarf as he led me outside of the restaurant.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise," he answered with a gleam in his eye.

"You know I hate surprises," I groaned.

He gave me a smirk and ignored my question. "Are you okay walking?" he asked.

"Sure." I bundled up my scarf around my neck and put on my gloves. It was getting colder now and Thanksgiving was next week.

We walked side-by-side talking and chatting as we people-watched. I wasn't sure where we were going but I followed him and eventually we turned onto 5th avenue. The store window displays were decked out with holiday decorations.

"Can I guess where we are going?" I pressed.

"No, because even if you guess it right, I won't tell you."

"Fine," I huffed.

As we got closer to 50th street, my stomach started to clench. He was not taking us where I thought he was… was he?

This was not a good idea. I thought he knew I was clumsy. As we rounded the corner of the building, my suspicions were correct and my hands started to sweat.

Then he stopped walking and turned to face me.

"Surprise! I wanted to take you ice skating," he revealed, his face beaming with pride.

I think I was going to be sick.

"Um, Edward. Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked.

"Why not?"

"Have you forgotten that I am probably the clumsiest person in the world?"

"There is nothing for you to worry about. I'll be skating with you and I promise not to let you fall," he said pulling me into his side.

"I don't know if you should make that promise so soon," I gulped as he led me to the ice skating rink to get our skates.

After renting our skates and putting them on, I decided to test the waters and stood up. I quickly grabbed onto Edward hoping not to topple over when I started to wobble.

"I just hope we both come back unharmed," I grumbled as we hobbled over to the entrance of the ice rink.

"We'll be fine," Edward snorted as he stepped onto the ice.

_Mr. I'm Good At Everything_ glided onto the ice easily.

"Are you coming?" He turned to me sensing my hesitation.

"No, I'm going to fall," I quibbled, stepping back away from the ice.

He skated to the entrance trying to dodge kids that were running on and off the ice.

"Bella, come here. I'll hold onto you, okay?" he said.

I slowly hobbled over to where he was waiting with his hand outstretched for me to grab. I latched onto his arm instead before stepping out onto the hard ice, my eyes, no doubt, wide and filled with terror.

"Bella, relax, you'll be fine," Edward assured.

Then he started to pull me along with him as I slowly moved my feet to glide along the ice. There were times when I would slip or lose my balance but, as promised, Edward held me up.

After a few slow laps and near misses, we started skating normally much to my surprise. We even had one lap around the rink where I didn't fall or slip once. Of course, the entire time I was glued to Edward's side, my hand grasping his arm in a vise-grip with no intention of letting go. It was the closest we had ever been and I was secretly reveling in the moment.

_Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. _

"I'm getting better!" I boasted.

"See, you made one loop and didn't fall," he cheered smiling at me.

Our gazes locked as we stared at each other grinning like idiots. Then the unthinkable happened. _Mr. I'm Good At Everything_ slipped, taking me down with him.

**BAM!**

"Oomph!"

I opened my eyes and came face to face with Edward's surprised green eyes. I was lying across his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist, and our faces only inches apart. I held my breath, admiring the flecks of gold in his eyes – that was, until I felt the throb in my forehead.

"Ow!" I moaned slowly pushing up, but not getting very far from Edward's iron embrace. I lifted one hand and rubbed my forehead. I looked at Edward's forehead and noticed a red spot forming.

Edward's chest started to shake with laughter, in turn shaking me.

"Hey, mister! It's not funny. My head hurts. Do you know you have a very hard skull?" I giggled lightly smacking his arm.

"I'm sorry." He reached up and brushed his fingers over my forehead causing my skin to tingle before releasing me and sitting us both up.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Edward, you don't have to say sorry for letting us fall. I thought you were good at everything. I'm more surprised _you_ fell," I teased.

"I was, uh, a little distracted," he mumbled as his cheeks turned a slight pink.

_Did I just make Edward Cullen blush? _

Then he stood up brushing the ice off his coat, grabbed my hand, and helped me up off the ground.

"You promised you wouldn't let me fall," I teased.

"Like you said, I probably shouldn't have made that promise," he joked.

"Hey!" I scolded playfully shoving him in the side.

I shivered a little after sitting on the frigid ice. "You're getting cold. Why don't we head back home?" he suggested.

"That sounds great," I said giving him a smile.

We returned our skates and grabbed a taxi to take us home.

Once we got back to our building, I wasn't sure how to react. This was technically our first date but we lived together. It wasn't like he had to drop me off and say goodbye.

There was a comfortable silence between us as we stepped off the elevator and walked to the front door.

Max and Maggie greeted us enthusiastically when Edward opened the door to the apartment. Seth, our dog walker, left us a note on the counter. He was a high school student that lived in our building with his parents, and apparently, both Max and Maggie loved him. So we hired him to walk the dogs for us while we were out during the day. He was a godsend.

I grabbed the note and read it aloud. "E&B, I walked Max and Maggie earlier and fed them dinner. I'll be over again on Monday to take them out. Thanks! Seth."

"He's a good kid," Edward replied.

"Yep, thanks for finding him!" I said.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

"No, not really." I smiled.

"Did you want to watch a movie?"

"I think that would be great. Let me go change," I gushed practically running back to my room. As I shut the door, I frantically ran to my closet to figure out what to wear. I couldn't wear my normal sweats and a t-shirt because that would be too casual. And we were still on our date, I think – no I hoped. I opted for

a tight blue t-shirt and black yoga pants. Alice would be proud. I changed as fast as I could and ran into my bathroom, brushed my teeth, and checked my hair before stepping back out into the living room.

Edward was standing by the DVD case mulling over the movies. He had changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a green t-shirt.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he called out to me.

I figured I would pick a movie that I thought both of us would enjoy. "How about _The Dark Knight_?"

He turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I've seen it before and it's a good movie," I said plopping down on the couch. There was a blanket there that I took and placed it over my legs.

Edward popped in the DVD and it began to play. He came over and sat next to me on the couch. He sat closer to me than normal, so I drew the blanket over to cover him as well.

Max and Maggie came rushing over to us and plopped down in front of the couch. I'm sure we looked like a cheesy Hallmark commercial.

I could feel the heat radiating from Edward as the movie started. He was so close and I just wanted to cuddle up next to him.

I started to feel sleepy and I wanted to make sure I thanked him for the lovely night in case I dozed off. I turned to face him.

"Thank you, Edward for tonight. I had an amazing time." I looked up at him through my eyelashes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I hope it made up for what happened last week," he said, swallowing.

"It more than made up for what happened last week," I assured smiling at him.

Edward placed his hand on the side of my face, gently stroking the apple of my cheek with his thumb. He leaned in closer and my breathing hitched. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a crooked smile before he gently pressed his mouth to mine. His lips were sweet and soft, and I closed my eyes returning his kiss and moving my lips in harmony with his. Our open-mouthed kiss was slow and leisurely and I nearly moaned at how sensual it was, savoring every moment. I had the urge to run my hands through his hair and climb onto his lap, but I settled for cupping his face with my hand, mimicking his hold on me.

I didn't want to scare him off by giving in to my baser wants.

He pulled back away from me and gave me a smile.

I was sure my returning smile was even bigger. My heart nearly flip-flopped out of my chest it was beating so hard. Wow didn't even cut it.

I sighed and slowly sat back again to try and watch the movie but all I could think about was that kiss. Damn, I wanted to do it again! I had to restrain myself from jumping on him. So utterly lost in my fantasies of kissing Edward, I completely tuned out the movie. Eventually, I grew tired again so I rested my head against his arm. Much to my delight, Edward moved his arm to wrap it around my shoulder.

The last thing I remember was closing my eyes, breathing in his intoxicating scent, and burying my face deeper into his chest. This was heaven.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! **

**Please Review and Thanks for Reading!  
**


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